Globalization Brings Forth New Era in Engineering

Engineers are now presented with the challenge of making a world connection. With globalization, engineers are often the first to encounter new problems and ideas that companies want to explore. New engineering challenges arise when an engineer is asked to work across borders and cultures, or even just in different regions in their home country.

Luckily, one solution to this problem is for engineers to become more globally aware and adaptable themselves, as well as for schools and organizations like Engineers without Borders who strive for cross-cultural sensitivity training.

Regardless of what organization or company you’re working for or what type of engineering you specialize in, globalization has international ramifications that all engineers face in some form or another. This can be a positive turn in the path of engineering, depending on how it is handled.

Engineering, by nature, is global by definition: Knowing every corner and every building in your city (or country) is practically second-nature for many engineers. This does not mean that all engineers should become experts with world languages or excel at foreign cultures as quickly as possible, though. If a person seeks to enter the field of engineering without knowing or learning about other cultures and peoples beyond her own, she could hinder her career in the long run.

Many engineers are preparing themselves now to work effectively on projects around the world while they are still pursuing education. Those who are getting degrees in engineering are learning how to speak other languages, how to read and write other languages, and what their own cultures really mean.

In the near future, society will need more engineers with global awareness – not less. With globalization, engineers can take on a variety of engineering projects anywhere in the world, as soft skills and cross-cultural sensitivity become increasingly important.

It is not impossible to work on a project in another country without having had any prior experience or being well-versed in that country’s culture; however, it can be difficult for international teams to get everything done that they need done when they first land on foreign soil.

Many people are not old enough to remember the time when a country’s engineers were primarily from that country; now, companies often hire international teams or even have multiple engineering teams from different cultures. This is a good thing for society as a whole – not only does it bring new ideas and creativity to projects, but it also increases the world’s pool of talent through cross-pollination.

For example, in Silicon Valley, including in San Francisco where I live, many of the world’s most influential technology companies are based. These include the likes of Google, Yahoo!, eBay, Facebook and Twitter: Many of these companies rely on engineering teams that originate from all over the globe.

As other countries and cultures around the world become more advanced, engineers from those countries will become more prominent. India and China are both huge populations of people that come to mind when thinking about engineers in the future.

In some cases, a person who has studied engineering in another country or even learned a language between the ages of 5 and 10 typically has an easier time working on a project that involves another culture than someone who has not done this. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule, since any engineer can build up her soft skills in order to be ready for a job in another country.

Electrical engineering is one of the most international of all engineering specialities. Perhaps one day, there will be an electrical engineer who does not know how to speak a single word of other languages, who prefers to work in her own country, and has never met a foreigner. That person would be miniscule in comparison to the large number of engineers who are now working for companies or as consultants around the world.

In some cases, teams consisting entirely of different nationalities working together can create very efficient and effective multi-national teams that can solve big problems with more innovative solutions than otherwise would have been possible with only one national culture.

At the same time, it is important to remember that some big problems can only be solved by one specific country: There are still many technological and scientific advances that should be reserved for countries that have a need for them. This goes back to the old adage “Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he will never go hungry again,” which refers to passing on knowledge – like teaching someone how to fish.

There are also cultural similarities among all of the world’s countries that can make it easier for engineers to work together. For example, people in the same country have shared interests – such as sports and music.

Engineers throughout the world love to talk about their favorite sports and even play those games with their friends. At one point or another, everyone has played a version of tag, volleyball, basketball and soccer at some point or another, in their own country or with friends from other countries. Engineers can use this relationship to communicate and communicate cross-culturally with great ease in virtually every country on earth.

Communicating with other cultures has become increasingly important in life and the workplace. With advances in technology, people have the ability to work together remotely, virtually any time of day. This allows people in different countries or even different cultures to work effectively along side one another.

As engineers, we know that there is no such thing as an “easy” or “simple” problem: Each problem is a multi-dimensional challenge that should be approached from multiple angles at the same time. The creative engineer who understands how to approach a problem from multiple angles will find that she has more opportunities for advancement than those who specialize in only one thought pattern – or those who lack the ability to use flexibility when approaching a project.

Engineering is about using all of the human intellect to build a better future. Engineers must not only “know” engineering and have technical skills, but also be able to communicate in other languages and have an understanding of different cultures.

The world is becoming more global each day – engineers have an obligation to be aware of what this means for their careers, their professional lives, and society as a whole. It will only become more important to know other people and places in the future; we cannot wait for it to happen. We must make it happen now.

Globalization Brings Forth New Era in Engineering

Globalization Brings Forth New Era in Engineering

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