2020 VISION and its implication for engineering management education

Abstract

[Abstract]: The release of the '2020 Vision report: The Manager of the 21st Century' in 2006 by Innovation & Business Skills Australia has produce some immediate effects on traditional Australian managerial development and training, particularly at tertiary postgraduate levels such as the Master of Business Administration. The paper aims to briefly investigate the implication of the report for engineering management education at the postgraduate levels. The paper highlights the Vision 2020 Report’s findings, and develops a case for further discussion. The paper provides suggestions on the report’s implications on engineering management education, supported by case studies and anecdotal evidences as an initial investigation requiring further quantitative work. Finally, the paper provides recommendations on how universities can react and respond to the needs of industry and the engineering profession, and exploiting new opportunities in engineering management education.