Pakistan have been found to be reluctant to opt for entrepreneurship in their
engineering fields as opposed to other disciplines such as Computer Science.
These reasons can be classified in five major categories; (i) cultural and
family mindset, (ii) demographic pressures (iii) narrow focus of curriculum,
(iv) teaching and lab methodology, (v) enabling and facilitation environment. Pakistan Engineering Council has a major role
to play in at least the last three areas. The curriculum design and enforcement
of PEC has left no room for subjects that can broaden the vision of the
students and open their minds to other areas. The recommended lab methodology
is based on the use of trainers and fill-in-the-blank type of submissions that
further constrains the work of the students in predetermined directions. The
recommended teaching methodology focused on class-room type of work also leaves
no room for out-of-the-box exploration of ideas. There is a need for the
universities and PEC to join together to provide an enabling and facilitation
environment that can help the students. There is a need to diversify the
curriculum to other areas by reducing the number of technology intensive areas
and more creativity and exploratory courses that can broaden the perspectives.
There is a need to adopt new methodologies such as project based learning and
problem based learning. The lab work needs to be liberated from the clutches of
the trainers. A post graduation apprenticeship or internships in exploring new
ideas is necessary for entrepreneurial engineering.
Cultural and Family Mindset
Historically and culturally, Hindu bania and businessmen were looked down upon. Mathematics and Sciences were subjects reserved for Hindus. Muslims used to opt for arts and literature especially poetry. The way Mirza Farhatullah Baig describes the business practices of his teacher Deputy Nazir Ahmed in his famous book “Deputy Nazir Ahmed ki Kahani, kuch unki kuch apni Zabani” at the turn of the 19th century into 20th century indicates the prevalent views. See for example the metaphor (muhawara) “Baniya ka baita kuch dekh kar hi girta hai”. The acquisition of money was equated with loan sharks and Muslims proudly displayed their disdain for business ventures. This used to be the situation till the 1970s. There used to be only two professions for Pakistanis; Engineering or Medicine. Those who could not get into these coveted professions were left with lower level jobs. However, this started changing in the 1990s and 2000s. The advent of this century has now much increased the attractiveness of entrepreneurship.
But this message will take another generation or two to become the prevalent mindset. The persistence of the old mindset is due to the demographic pressures.
Demographics Pressures on Engineering Students
Removing this fear and guaranteeing the students through the enabling environment described below would only enable them to experiment with their own ventures.
Another factor in determining the mindset is the typical school curriculum that depends upon rote learning, which does not prepare the students for creativity or thinking out of the box for solutions. Thus, they continue to move in the well worn out directions of government jobs followed by private jobs. The environment had convinced them that survival with heads down in their job will take them to success.
Narrow Focus of HEC Curriculum
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Essential Skills for Engineering Entrepreneurship |
HEC approved curricula are mostly the regurgitation of the curricula that existed thirty years ago. They provide neither the opportunity to the students to explore other areas nor enable the opening of their minds to look at things in the way general people see.
HEC must free the engineering curricula from the straight jackets of the predefined names of the courses and should focus on a specification of course concepts that universities should be able to configure into courses of their choice.
Teaching Methodology and Lab Methodology
Teaching methodology which also includes grading structure is another straight jacket that binds the teacher in doing things in predictable and standardized manner leaving no room for the teacher to experiment with new ideas, new methodologies of teaching irrespective of whether the student is learning and motivated to learn or not. Biggest damage done to teaching is by the use of power point presentations which many academics now think should be banned.
There is now need to provide space to the teachers to experiment with new methodologies including PBL: Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning and other experiential learning methodologies.
Enabling and Facilitation Environment
- Allowing the teacher to experiment with new learning spaces. There needs to be a flexibility to take the classes in innovative surroundings and places.
- Allowing the teacher to flip the classwork with home work.
- Allowing the teacher to experiment with new grading techniques like Formative Assessments, Self Assessments, Rubrics Based Assessments, Portfolio Based Assessments, Peer Assessments and some combination of theses. See Grading vs Motivation
- Statistical quality control measures like the Bell Curve Assessments needs to be thrown out. This is no longer used in the industry for quality control. This is the era of TQM, six sigma and zero-defects. Would a factory survive if its output quality control is based on bell curve? See Who Fails when a Student Fails
- See the Problems with Bell Curve Assumption
- Allowing the school to design integrated curriculum and enable holistic education.
- Allowing the courses to be designed as project intensive courses.
- Enable an environment where students can spend time as internees or apprentices for the development of their projects into commercial projects. This can be through an incubator or collaboration with industry organizations.
See Also:
- Iqbal’s view on What is Meant to be Educated
- Which Field of Great Scope Should I Choose for My Son/Daughter
- Dave Ulrich and Leadership for the Youth
- Why Engineering Students are Reluctant to become Entrepreneurs: Role of PEC and Universities
- 6 Trends that will Determine your Career Success in the 21st Century
- Nine (9) Dimensions of Ethical Leadership
- Time Management of Social/Marriage Events in Karachi: A Case Study of How to Create Social and Youth Impact
- Why Education and Why Higher Education: Leadership in Life and Society
- Georgia – Lesson in Preserving Language, Religion and Culture
- Mocking Craftsmen and Business People
- What Inspires Me: Leadership Against All Odds
- Entrepreneurial Leadership for 21st Century
- Why Job Security?
- Four Legacies of a Leader: Which one would you leave behind?
- Values Based Leadership
- Myth: We are Backward because we Lag Behind in Science and Technology
- Why we Choose Job Security and Job Safety
- Why this current urgency about visions and entrepreneurship
- Myth: Mushrooming of HEIs in Pakistan
- Myth: Impact factor measures impact
- What does it Mean to be a PhD: Myths of specialization and departmental scope of expertise
- Myth: We are backward we Lag Behind in Science and Technology
- Myths of Schooling and Education: Resources
- 5 Myths of Higher Education in Pakistan
- Why PhD is Difficult to Complete and Why there are so many ABDs (All But Dissertation) and PhD dropouts.
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