International Conference on the Roles of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Engineering 2008

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia - The humanities and social sciences play an important role in engineering and technical education especially in this era of globalization.

INTRODUCTION

The humanities and social sciences play an important role in engineering and technical education especially in this era of globalization. Globalization posits that an engineering graduate must be able not only to handle engineering issues but also to manage resources and to formulate policies. All these require the use of more than engineering knowledge and skills. As a result, engineering and technical education is no longer just for equipping the students with the hard engineering skills and knowledge, it has to be more holistic and liberal in nature in which the soft skills and knowledge become an integral part. Combining the hard knowledge and soft skills, the holistic approach will enable the graduates to develop a knowledge base that will help them become more critical and analytical in the utilization and application of professional knowledge and that will make them more sensitive to the environment in which they work in.

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

This conference aims:

To examine the past, present, and future role of the humanities and social sciences in engineering and technical education.
To discuss the importance of the humanities and social sciences in engineering and technical education.
To share the view of the engineering and non-engineering industries on the importance of the humanities and social sciences in engineering and technical education.
To discuss issues related to the role of the humanities and social sciences in engineering and technical education.

THEME

Globalizing the Engineering Profession

SUB-THEME

Papers pertaining to a broad array of issues on humanities, social sciences, values and patriotism, and soft skills and leadership in enhancing the engineering profession are invited. The conference sub-themes are as follows:

1. Engineering mathematics and statistics
2. Operation management
3. Strategic management
4. Technology management
5. Communication and languages
6. ICT
7. Economy
8. Entrepreneurship and technopreneur
9. Co-curriculum education
10. Culture, literature and arts
11. Civilization and religions
12. Psychology and sociology
13. Occupational health and safety
14. Soft skills and leadership
15. Values and patriotism

Professor John Buckeridge
Head of School of Civil, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
RMIT University
GPO Box 2476V, VIC 3001
Australia
tel (+61 3) 9925 2181
fax (+61 3) 9639 0138
email: [email protected]

KEY SPEAKER
John Buckeridge is a Professor of Natural Resources Engineering and Head of School, Civil Environmental and Chemical Engineering, at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. All three disciplines have very significant roles, individually and jointly, in ensuring the sustainable management of global resources. In addition to his role as Head of School, John maintains a wide international involvement in engineering, the environment and ethics. He is currently President of both the International Union of Biological Sciences and the International Society of Zoological Sciences. He chairs the Bioethics Committee of the IUBS and is Honorary professor of Engineering Ethics at Wismar University of Business, Technology and Design (Germany). In 2004-05 he acted as consultant to UNESCO�s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), in the development of universal norms in environmental ethics. He has published more than 200 articles and books in topics ranging through ethics, geology, palaeontology, forensics, civil engineering and marine biology. And for ICOHSE 08, he will be contributing his ideas on � A synergy of Cultures: Humanities in Engineering�.

Secretariat

The Centre for Communication Skills and Entrepreneurship

Universiti Malaysia Perlis

Blok B, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian

Jejawi, 02600 Arau, Perlis

Malaysia

Dr. Syaharom Abdullah

Tel: +6049798179

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms. Ina Suryani Abd. Rahim

Tel: +609798160

E-mail: [email protected]