By Kate Brand Tippin
In 1903 the Wright brothers invented and built the world’s first successfully controlled and powered airplane. Today, a mere 106 years later, more than three million people fly around the world daily.
To discuss innovation, globalization and the role of the university, Professors at the University of Toronto joined keynote speaker Kiyoshi Kurokawa of Graduate Research Institute of Policy Science and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, in a lively discussion hosted by the Munk Centre for International Studies on October 27, 2009.
Professor Kurokawa provided detail of a number of world changes in 100 short years and asked the audience to question this change. In a short time period, Albert Einstein established the theory of relativity; the Hiroshima bomb was detonated; and nuclear power became a viable energy source. “Why? All because of progress,” he said. “We value progress.”
The buzzword ‘innovation’ was coined within the past 15 years. Defined by Professor Kurokawa as “the creation of new social value,” the discussion engaged leaders from across the University to challenge the opinions of colleagues, to impact the decisions of policymakers, and to provide an environment to create and nurture future leaders who will create the world’s innovation.
Engineering Professors
Yu-Ling Cheng and
Murray Metcalfe provided an engineering perspective on innovation and globalization and the role of universities as members of this panel. Other panelists included
Anita M. McGahan of Rotman and
Joseph Wong of Political Science. The panel was chaired by
Janice Stein, Director of the Munk Centre.
Professor Cheng, Director of the new Centre for Global Engineering, spoke about our students as future innovators, and the role of universities in cultivating the human capacity that rests in our students. She identified a number of cross-disciplinary opportunities and proposed ideas that could further cultivate the next generation of innovative global leaders. She also referenced progress in engineering education in the past 10 years. Specifically, the D-Lab at MIT takes undergraduate students to third world countries to determine need and design solutions. Additionally, Aalborg University in Denmark is pioneering an entirely project-based curriculum and is reporting success in achieving technical, as well as contextual, learning objectives. U of T has also been successful in leading innovative curriculum and co-curricular changes with the Engineering Leaders of Tomorrow program and First Year design, communication, and technical courses in Engineering Strategies and Practice and Praxis.
Dr. Metcalfe, recently appointed as the Faculty’s Professor, Globalization, contended that solving the problems of the world are not solely addressed with advances in technology. Rather, to provide the best possible solutions in the global setting, future engineers will need to take into consideration sustainability and the environment, organizational form and entrepreneurship, innovative financing approaches, collaboration, and the unique requirements of developing regions of the world.
"The panel discussion was very thought provoking, particularly the notion that ‘innovation’ is not synonymous with ‘invention’ but rather connotes the creation of new social value,” said
Claire Kennedy, President of the Engineering Alumni Association and ChemE alumna.
“If that's true, what is the role of the engineer and how should that role shape engineering education at U of T? Faculty representatives argued convincingly that engineers have a role - even a responsibility - to address some the world's most pressing issues, sustainable development and the alleviation of dire poverty being just two examples, and consequently, our students must be equipped to engage in the cross-cultural and multidisciplinary action that's required to create solutions. In this regard, I commend the Faculty's strategic commitment to graduating the next generation of global engineers, capable and motivated to meet this challenge. I think the new Centre for Global Engineering, headed by Professor Cheng and engaging academics and students across disciplines, is therefore an important and exciting development. I encourage our alumni to become re-engaged with the Faculty and all its work to see first-hand why our alma mater was recently ranked 8th in the world in engineering schools. That's a phenomenal achievement, which puts us in august company, and we can all be very proud.”
The speakers addressed the premise that innovation is an interdisciplinary and collaborative effort and were asked to discuss the notion of “innovation research” from their own unique background. The panel ended with a challenge posed by Stein, asking the speakers and audience to turn their ideas into reality.
Watch the panel discussion online:
http://hosting.epresence.tv/MUNK/1/watch/140.aspx