Study: GOALI: Offshoring - The New Challenge for Engineering Educators

这笔赠款用于试点研究因工程工作离岸/外包而产生的两个密切相关的问题。具体地说，在全球化的推动下，经济和政治发展的复杂进程、电子通信能力的增强以及发达工业国家的衰退是否导致世界范围内对工程工作和工程人才的竞争大大加剧？如果是这样的话，那么：1)工程教育工作者必须面对这样一个问题：确保毕业生将继续为一个他们的薪资要求比国际竞争对手高出三到四倍的市场带来价值；以及2)美国公司必须重新定义授予美国工程师的角色和任务，特别是那些处于职业生涯早期阶段的工程师，以便他们获得这种价值。匹兹堡大学工程学院的教员将与三家在环太平洋地区有业务的不同美国公司(HJ Heinz、Kennamtal和SIMA Products Corporation)的同事一起实施这一项目。作为2004年夏季海上学期计划的一部分，它将利用一个独特的机会，与美国科学和工程专业的学生和教职员工一起，第一手研究太平洋沿岸的主要国家。作为该项目的一部分，教职员工和学生将访问韩国、台湾、中国、香港、日本和越南的公司，会见生产经理、公司管理人员、工程师和车间工人。他们还将会见这些国家的大学同事。通过把重点放在制造业这个在过去30年逐步向海外转移的行业上，我们将更好地了解工程实践以及教育可能走向何方。如果成功完成，这项研究将为美国和跨国公司在至少6个环太平洋国家的一系列设施提供第一人称的深入概述。全面、严谨的实地考察工作将确保对美国制造商普遍面临的问题，特别是他们的工程人员要求，有一个清晰、简洁的图景。这一及时的研究不仅与工程学有关，而且与任何职业有关，在这些职业中，知识可以通过电子方式传递给全球任何地方的高技能、低成本人员。

This grant funds a pilot study of two closely related problems that have arisen as a result of the offshoring/outsourcing of engineering work. Specifically, have the complex processes of economic and political development, motivated by globalization, enhanced electronic communication capabilities and recessions in the advanced industrial countries resulted in substantially increased worldwide competition for engineering jobs and engineering talent? If so, then: 1) Engineering educators must confront the issue of ensuring that graduates will continue to bring value to a market place in which their salary demands are three or four times greater than their international competitors; and 2) US companies must redefine the roles and assignments given to US based engineers, especially those in the early stages of their careers so that they receive that value. Faculty from the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering will conduct this project in conjunction with colleagues from three diverse US corporations with operations in the Pacific Rim (HJ Heinz, Kennametal and Sima Products Corporation). It will take advantage of a unique opportunity to study key Pacific Rim countries first hand in combination with US science and engineering students and faculty as part of the Summer 2004 Semester at Sea Program. As part of this program, faculty and students will visit firms in Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Vietnam, meeting with production managers, corporate officers, engineers, and shop floor workers. They will also meet with university colleagues in each of these countries. By focusing on manufacturing, a sector that has progressively moved offshore over the past three decades, a better understanding as to where engineering practice and, as a result, education might be headed will be obtained.If successfully completed, this study will provide a first-person, in-depth overview of the impact of outsourcing in a series of US and multinational companies' facilities in at least six Pacific Rim countries. The comprehensive, rigorous fieldwork will ensure should result in a clear, concise picture of the issues facing US manufacturers in general and their engineering personnel requirements in particular. This timely study is not only relevant to engineering, but to any profession in which knowledge can be transmitted electronically to highly skilled, but lower cost, personnel anywhere on the globe.