Kang I would like to share with you my observations on the desired traits of engineers in the 21st century. Technical excellence is, of course, a given. A few other assets would be international knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit, and credibility. Modern transportation and communications technologies have compressed time and space, making the world a much smaller place i.e., the global village. At the same time, though, the world has become much more complex.
More people travel to different parts of the world for conferences, business meetings, and vacation.
Increasing numbers of corporations set up research and development laboratories, production plants, and sales and service operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. Naturally, the globalization of business has become essential. Engineering graduates with a global perspective, necessary language skills, and an understanding of different cultures will be recruited highly and will play an important role with their new employers. I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the College of Engineering International Program. Professor Carl Altstetter is the director of this program.