Engineering management education post GFC and Copenhagen: are we on the right track?

Abstract

As world leaders around the globe navigate around the global financial crisis (GFC) and climate change agendas, aspiring engineering and engineering educators must rethink the enabling pathways for the personal, professional and educational development of professional engineering managers. A call for reform has exhibited in the early 21st century in form of numerous reports and literature around the globe. However, a revisit may now be required to ensure that the recommendations remain valid in the education of the next generation of engineering managers. The paper looks to the latest literature to review the findings of those pre GFC reports and highlights some of the existing engineering management and leadership programs around the world. It comments on the adequacy of those programs post GFC and provides a clearer picture of the key components and pathways of an aspiring engineering manager's learning journey. The issues that educators need address within course and program design are identified and discussed.