It is only partly true that the future is unpredictable. Some developments, such as
demographic trends, can be confidently predicted. Political or economic developments,
on the other hand, are very hard to forecast, certainly in the longer term. This is also true
of a great many technological developments. To give but one example, when the World
Wide Web was invented and the first web server was installed in 1990, nobody would
have predicted that, 20 years later, 50 billion or so web pages would have been indexed
by Google, a company which did not even exist in 1990, but which is now one of the
largest technological companies in the world.
Nevertheless, more robust and predictable developments can also be cited. One of
these is that technology has come to play an increasingly important role in the private
lives of people. Whereas in the past, a telephone used to be a functional object hanging
on the wall and allowing us to call others, it has now acquired the status of a ‘Life
Companion’, something that is with us wherever we go and enables us to share, so to
speak, all of our major and minor life events. Actively and purposefully, technology
increasingly influences our social environment (via the Internet), our individual
experiences and even the way we think and act (for instance by means of persuasive
technology).
This trend offers a glimpse of the enormous breadth technology has developed over the
years. On the one hand, engineers are developing technology that approaches the limits
of what is physically possible (for instance in lithography). On the other hand, they
are working on technology which directly affects the way people think and act. This
implies that altogether different types of engineers are required, engineers who can be
distinguished as to (i) disciplinary background: electrical engineering, chemical
technology, technical medicine, computer science, architecture or business
administration; (ii) the nature of their work: research or design; and (iii) their orientation:
specialists or generalists. Specialists are often driven by the challenges and new
opportunities provided by technology. It fascinates them and they wish to participate in
developing and improving it. Generalists are often motivated by the societal issues that
can be solved by means of technology. But these are, of course, stereotypes. It is not
unusual to hear someone say, ‘I’m a bit of a nerd, but for a good cause’, something which
expresses both a fascination for technology as well as social engagement.
generalists and specialists should be able to function at the boundaries of various
disciplines. These boundaries can vary widely. Interaction with physicists, for instance,
is completely different from interaction with psychologists or doctors.
There are also other developments that can be termed robust in the sense that they
are compatible with a number of possible future scenarios. Internationalization is a
prime example, one that is in fact inevitable. In the past fifty years, the world’s economy
has witnessed a strong shift to Asia, with China now having reached the level of the
United States and the European Union. As a result, companies will have to operate on
an increasingly international scale and all engineers without exception will have to
be educated for the international market. This conclusion is unrelated to the question
whether TU/e should, in the future, focus mainly on the ecosystem of international
high-tech industries in the Eindhoven region (Brainport), or whether TU/e should
primarily be developing itself as part of an international network of universities (a ‘global
university of technology’). In either scenario, internationalization plays a key role. There
is yet another reason why internationalization is an absolute must: if TU/e aspires to
excellence in education and research, it necessarily follows that the world, not just the
Netherlands, is its arena.
A university that presents itself as a world player is nevertheless embedded in a local
environment and will want to contribute actively to its prosperity and well-being. TU/e
is part of the Eindhoven region, a unique area with a high concentration of international
high-tech industries – hence the name Brainport. A significant number of TU/e students
come from this area and a major share of its alumni work for companies located
in the region. Having good cooperative relations with the region, which by virtue of its
international orientation provides yet another window on the world, is therefore a
requirement for TU/e in determining the future of education and research.
Another robust development is a greater diversity of students. This means a student
body comprised of several types of students interested in science and technology,4
a
larger share of women, more nationalities, more students from immigrant communities,
etc. This diversity is needed to ensure a greater intake so that sufficient numbers of
people can be trained in technology. But it is also necessary because the market requires
engineers with widely varying profiles, as has been illustrated above. We are not just
concerned with one type of engineer of the future. There are several. Finally, diversity is
needed to prepare students for an international career in which cultural differences may
play a major role.
What applies to students also applies to TU/e staff: greater diversity is also necessary
and desirable here. Staff members act as role models for the students, especially where
women in technology are concerned. Increasing the diversity of the staff population,
however, is something that cannot be accomplished in the short term. TU/e will only be
able to introduce changes by implementing a firm and consistent policy over a number
of years.
Another development that will not easily be reversed relates to government funding of
higher education. We have been witnessing a downward trend for years. In the first
decade of this century, the government’s contribution for each student dropped from
€18,800 to €14,100, while the number of students increased by 46 percent.5
The
introduction of a new student loans system instead of grants in the Netherlands is part
of the picture. This downward trend is entirely unsatisfactory given the vision that is
communicated by that same government, namely that the competitive power and hence
the future of the Dutch economy lies in knowledge-intensive products and services. It
puts great pressure on the educational system at Dutch universities, as degree
programs have to be offered to an increasing number of students per staff member that
at the same time belong to the best programs internationally. This is all the more acute
because, as will be argued below, small-scale education is a vital element of good
academic teaching practice.
EmoticonEmoticon