TRAVERSE CITY – A sharp
decline in engineering-school enrollments in Michigan will have an adverse
effect on the state’s economy and also threatens the long-term recovery of
the nation’s domestic auto industry.
“In the past six years new engineering enrollments at Michigan
universities have plummeted by more than 13 percent compared to a nine
percent increase nationally,” said Leo Hanifin PhD, dean of the
University of Detroit’s College of Engineering and Science. “In Michigan,
this precipitous drop is clearly linked to layoffs and poor performance
within the domestic auto industry.”
Hanifin noted that the United States is facing a crisis in the
development of engineering talent.
“Forty-five percent or more of all Chinese college students currently
study engineering compared to just 4.5 percent in the United States,” he
reported. “Nationally, low enrollments at engineering schools are tied to
poor high-school preparation and low interest levels, especially among
women and minorities.”
Speaking at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City (on Monday,
August 11), Hanifin pointed out that studies indicate that 80 percent or
more of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from the
introduction of new technologies, adding that “engineers are essential for
technological innovation.”
He said factors that will contribute to the nation’s shrinking pool of
engineering talent include:
Massive retirements among “baby boomer” engineers,
A general drop in the number of college-age students,
Fewer foreign engineering students studying in the U.S.,
Fewer foreign students choosing to remain here after graduation,
Increased global competition for technical talent.
“More and better-educated engineers are needed if our nation and its
auto industry are to thrive or even survive,” he said. “The problem of low
engineering enrollments can only be solved by decisive action that includes
changes in public policy and national programs, as well as increased
collaboration within the educational community, government and the private
sector.”
Hanifin pointed out that UDM has been a leader in the development of
collaborative programs such as the Product Development Leadership Coalition
and the Michigan Ohio University Transportation Center.
The Product Development Leadership Coalition is a collaborative effort
involving the Rochester Institute of Technology, MIT, U.S. Navy and six
global corporations. Led by the University of Detroit Mercy, MIOH focuses
on research and education in alternative fuels, intelligent transportation
systems and supply-chain efficiency.
To remain competitive, major changes will be required at both a state
and national level, Hanifin warned.
“After our engineers and technological entrepreneurs are educated,
we’ll need to gather them in adequate numbers to concentrate their
technical and creative capabilities in order to form ‘engines for
innovation’ similar to what occurred several decades ago in California’s
Silicon Valley,” he said.
“We’ve seen this phenomenon occur more recently in Bangalore, India; in
Helsinki, Finland; in Dublin, Ireland, and in Singapore. We need to take
similar initiatives here.
“The future of industries, economies and nations rests squarely on the
shoulders of technological innovators. If we want a brighter future for our
state and for our nation, we need to collaborate on aggressive programs and
public policy to attract, educate and assemble those innovators.”
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