Education is the Key to the 21st Century 

By Donald E. Purcell1

The 21st century is dominated by technology, science and globalization. Because the 

world of global standards and standardization systems directly affect virtually all world trade, it 

is of critical importance that individuals and organizations that participate in the development of 

complex global technology standards have and maintain multidisciplinary skills to be successful. 

The significant challenge for individuals and organizations is how best to develop and maintain 

these skills. Education is the key to this critical question. 

Global Survey 

To better understand recent standards education efforts, The Center for Global Standards 

Analysis (“Center”) conducted a global survey from March-July this year. The following 

question was distributed by the Center to corporations, standards development organizations, 

government departments, universities and firms around the world – Do Standards Education 

Programs Have a Strategic Value? 11 major standards organizations, government agencies, 

universities and firms from China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States responded 

to the survey. The responses indicate a unanimous view that standards education programs do 

in fact have a strategic value.

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Significance of Standards and Standardization 

Because significant global economic, political and social circumstances are being driven 

by technology, science and globalization, the Center anticipates a future which is more complex, 

competitively intense, and in which standards and standardization systems will play an 

increasingly important role. 

Since 1999, it has been generally accepted that private sector standards and government 

technical regulations directly affect at least 80% of world trade.3

 In 2005, Congress estimated 

that private sector standards and government technical regulations directly affected at least $7 

trillion (US) of world trade in 2003.4

 In a world dominated by rampant globalization that will 

remain so for the foreseeable future, technology standards play a critical role. (The World is Flat, 

Thomas Friedman (2005)).5

 Standards influence everything we do (UK National Standards Strategy 

(2003)).

6

 Standards control markets (German National Standards Strategy (2005)).7 Moreover, 

standardization is one of the most powerful sources of competitive economic intelligence 

 

1

 Donald E. Purcell is Chair of The Center for Global Standards Analysis. For background and contact 

information, see www.strategicstandards.com. This article reflects the personal views of the Chair. 

2

 For a copy of the Center’s survey report, send an email to donpurcell@strategicstandards.com . 3

 See Regulatory Reform and International Standardization (OECD 1999). 

4

 U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Hearing: China, Europe and the Use of Standards as 

Trade Barriers: How should the U.S. respond? (May 11, 2005) 5

 http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/worldisflat.htm 6

 http://www.nssf.info/resources/documents/Guide_to_NSSF.pdf 7

 http://www.din.de/sixcms_upload/media/2896/DNS_english%5B1%5D.pdf
available (French Standardization Strategy (2006); Canada National Standards Strategy (2005)).8

 

Put simply, the evidence is overwhelming that standardization programs offer one of the best, 

most important means to evaluate current technology and provide a glimpse of where future 

technology innovations may occur.9

 Standardization programs are indispensable for the strategic 

evaluation of technology and the analysis of competitive issues. In strategic terms, “If you 

control an industry’s standards, you control that industry lock, stock, and ledger” (Out of the 

Crisis, by W. Edwards Deming, Advanced Engineering Center, MIT Press at 302 (1986)). 

Purpose of Survey 

For decades, most nations and industries have employed on-the-job training (“OJT”) 

programs to address and resolve standardization issues. This global management tradition raises 

several significant questions related to the survey. First, given the growing complexity and 

intensity of globalization, can nations continue to rely on OJT programs? Second, it is expected 

there will be a significant demographic shift among individuals with significant standardization 

skills and experience in the near future (3-5 years) because of retirement. Estimates are that for 

some nations at least 50% of experienced standardization practitioners will retire in the near 

future.10 This transition poses these significant questions: (1) how will the next generation be 

educated and trained to replace the current generation of standardization practitioners? (2) How 

will this critical standardization knowledge and experience be transferred to the next generation? 

 From the Center’s perspective, standardization will continue to play a significant role in 

future globalization, indeed, the Center does not believe it is possible to reengineer the global 

marketplace without affirmatively addressing many complex international standardization issues. 

In addition, the Center does not believe that continued exclusive reliance on OJT programs will 

be successful, and that comprehensive standards education programs addressing the needs of the 

global marketplace are necessary. The Center recommends that all nations establish a 

combination of comprehensive standards education programs in their private, public and 

academic sectors. 

 The Center also believes that this survey and the recent International Standards Education 

Workshop held by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) in 

February 2008, Global Perspectives and Strategies for Education about Standardization 

Workshop offer significant support for the proposition that a growing number of nations now 

recognize the need to develop comprehensive standards education programs to facilitate their 

national interests.11 The scope, quality and range of perspectives presented in the NIST 

workshop from around the world make clear that important changes are going on in the field of 

standards education, and that all nations must reevaluate their current standards education 

programs to ensure they remain competitive in a world dominated by globalization, technology 

and science. 

 

8

 http://portailgroupe.afnor.fr/v3/pdf/strategystandardization_2010.pdf ; http://www.scc.ca/en/nss 9

 See IEC Case Study Analysis, “What the world says about us,” http://www.iec.ch/benefits/worldsays 10 For example, see AT&L Human Capital Strategic Plan v3.0 (2008) published by the U.S. Department 

of Defense at 9-12, http://www.dau.mil/workforce/hcsp.pdf . 

11 See http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/ICES-Workshop-Presentations.cfm for workshop presentations. 

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Being a Good Engineer is Not Good Enough 

The world of global standardization is a complex environment that typically involves 

engineering, science and other significant technology issues. There are however other important 

issues involved in global standardization, for example, economic and business considerations, 

global trade, health, safety, the environment, sustainability, public policy and legal 

considerations such as intellectual property. Being a good engineer, therefore, is not good 

enough to succeed as an active participant in the complex world of global standardization. 

Multidisciplinary skills are necessary in order to be effective. 

Even current participants with decades of experience in global standardization are 

struggling to maintain and further enhance their standards development skills. In short, the 

world of global standardization is under considerable stress to effectively deal with increasingly 

complex issues based upon a standardization process that requires openness, transparency, 

fairness, excellent administration and communications, and that gives due consideration to the 

needs of developing nations. Moreover, global standardization is increasingly expensive. 

Demands for a more effective global standardization system have become a world wide chorus. 

Conclusion 

 In the Center’s recently published survey, Professor Shiro Kurihara, Hitotsubashi 

University, offers the following comments on the need for standards education programs: 

The national economy of every nation depends upon its ability to develop and maintain an 

effective international standards system best suited to its needs. Given that standards are 

the essential building blocks by which every nation develops and maintains a competitive 

national economy, the challenge is to develop international standards education programs 

which meet the specific needs of a particular country in their private, public and academic 

sectors. For decades, private corporations, government departments and agencies have 

carried the burden of standards education by preparing their best and brightest employees 

to work in the complex field of international standardization [in the form of “on the job” 

training]. There is no question that international standards education programs offered by 

private corporations and government departments must be continued and expanded where 

ever possible. But in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive world, are these efforts 

enough? A key question we must now address is whether nations need to make significant 

investments in creating academic opportunities for their best and brightest students to 

study the complex field of international standardization.12 

If success in the world of global standardization is of importance, development of 

multidisciplinary skills and a global perspective will be essential to achieving success. 

12 Kurihara, Shiro “Foundations and Future Prospects of Standards Studies: Multidisciplinary 

Approach,” International Journal of IT Standards and Standardization Research, Vol.6, No.2 July-August 

2008, pages 15-17, emphasis in original. See footnote 29 on page 33 of the Center’s report.