Illinois Partners with Olin College to Transform Engineering Education
Friday, September 12, 2008
“The study of engineering and technology from the philosophical, historical, cultural, behavioral, and sociological perspectives is essential to address important contemporary problems at the interface of technology and society,” explained Ilesanmi Adesida, dean of the College of Engineering. “Although we have been extraordinarily successful at educating students to become the best engineers in the world, we must continually adapt, to strengthen the creative capacity of our students and to preserve their strong technical skills while emphasizing the elements of design, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility.
Dean Ilesanmi Adesida adds his endorsement to the agreement. “Olin College has one of the most innovative programs in the design and implementation of a creative engineering curriculum appropriate to our times, and we’re happy to partner with them,” Adesida added. The impetus for Olin College started in the late 1980’s, when the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering, and engineering community at-large began calling for reform in engineering education. In order to serve the needs of the growing global economy, it was clear that engineers needed to have business and entrepreneurship skills, creativity, and an understanding of the social, political, and economic contexts of engineering.
