Educating today for the car of tomorrow

A 21st Century engineering education will produce leaders as well as technologists. It will start with a 5 year formal foundation, then smoothly transition to a lifelong continuous education program. The five year foundation will be discipline specific, but will employ cross context teaching to provide technical breadth. The 5 year curriculum will also provide introductions to elements of communication, management, systematic methodologies and economics. Schools will, according to their strengths and resources, offer programs differing in style and specific content. But all of these programs will satisfy the basic requirement that they prepare students to address the system challenges of 21st century industry. Following the formal education, a meaningful continuous education program must be made accessible to everyone.