The Vice Chancellor University of Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, has stressed the need for African leaders to in invest in engineering education to address the nation’s infrastructural decay in the country.
Speaking at the ongoing 7TH African Engineering Education Association International Conference currently taking place at University of Lagos, he observed that the role of engineers in the development of any society cannot be over emphasized, as the nation’s landmark infrastructure were built by them.
Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Prof. Oluwole Familoni, he added that it is good to have good engineering education apart from hardcore engineering, adding that the pedagogy must also structured in a way that students would understand what they are being taught.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Strengthening Engineering Education through Innovation and Collaboration’ he added that innovation is also key as this would create new solutions that would improve the quality of life of the citizens.
Similarly, President, African Engineering Education Association, Prof. Funsho Falade, said without engineering, no nation can develop.
According to him, engineers analyze, develop and proffer appropriate solutions to solve societal problems. Engineering is supposed to use scientific ideas to develop technology and any nation that fails to develop its engineering will rely on imported technology, which is very expensive.
Continuing, he said if you look around us, all our infrastructure are down because we rely on foreigners. Those that are trained locally have low patronage by government. Our curriculum also needs to be reviewed in terms of content.
On her part, President, American Society for Engineering Education, Prof. Sheryl Sorby, noted that if all of us across the globe work together to improve engineering education, it would improve the citizens quality of life.
According to her, engineering is one of the drivers for economic and technological advances and this will enable people move into the jobs of the future because the jobs of the future are not going to be the jobs of today.
Specifically, she added that in America, ‘we train our primary and secondary students on hands on because in America, we believe that people learn by doing and not just by memorizing so we encourage our children at young age to work on projects. The Guardian
