I decided to seek further inputs from Dr Mah Shee Keat , Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering , Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman ( UTAR ). He reasoned : As educators , we have to constantly remind ourselves that the industries in the 21 st century no longer only demand chemical engineers with technical expertise , but also with the abilities to communicate , to collaborate , to be creative and think critically in solving complex problems and continuously advancing personal knowledge . It is no longer adequate to revise the curriculum every time to suit current needs because whatever skills which are crucial in the current scenario may be obsolete in four to five years ’ time except fundamental knowledge . This is the reason in which it is more important to inculcate the versatility and problemsolving skills to graduates while they are learning the specific skills that are crucial for their chemical engineering profession . We have to shift the focus of the curricula from knowledge to capabilities and character building . They have to learn to see things in a bigger picture , and we have to put the knowledge into context – the holistic view , showing the connectedness between knowledge and realworld phenomena , and the consequences of their actions . The learning is then to be converted into solutions to solve real-life problems with real-life implications .
Thus , UTAR implemented open-ended laboratory assessments where undergraduates are now encouraged to devise their own solutions to solve a given problem which may be multidisciplinary in nature instead of merely following a given set of procedures as done in the past . The aim is for students to seek and decipher the relevant information swiftly and leverage them efficiently to achieve their goals .
Professor Dr Ezzat Chan from the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Malaysia- Japan International Institute of Technology , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia ( MJIIT ) had the same views with regards to the soft skills being key . Soft skills can be viewed as “ Human Skills ” or Ningen Ryoku which is incorporated into the MJIIT programme . Professor Dr Ezzat Chan shared that MJIIT offers a unique learning experience where the undergraduates are provided with immersive Japanese culture as they further their studies through learning the Japanese language with many opportunities to be in Japan . In addition , the academic staff includes professors from renowned Japanese universities . These mechanisms provide the platform for the undergraduates to be exposed in Japan for a semester for credit transfer , or to fulfil their industrial training ; through the Sakura Exchange programme , Global Mobility Programme and many more .
I further consulted Dr Ramuna binti Mohamed , a Deputy Director in a department within the Ministry of Human Resources . She explained , “ Chemical engineering is about converting the less valuable to more valuable in the most economical and efficient way possible . Chemical engineers do not only take care of the processes in industries but also design it and the equipment involved in the process . The job of chemical engineers is not restricted to only the process equipment but also the utilities required to run that equipment .
“ It is inter-disciplinary in nature . Chemical engineering is found in a wide variety of aspects . From the use of micro-organisms as in fermentation to electronic devices as in control systems , from solid state crystallisers to plasma reactors ,” she added .
Dr Ramuna envisaged that future chemical engineers need to look into emerging areas such as : 1 . Industry 4.0 and its nine pillars ; 2 . Advance process control ; 3 . Nanotechnology ; 4 . Safety and health especially in chemical plants or chemical manufacturing processes ; 5 . Failure analysis in chemical plants or chemical manufacturing processes ; 6 . Energy regeneration ; 7 . Green Technologies ; and 8 . Insulation materials for heat transfer or heat generation equipment .
The general agreement is the ability to collaborate across different engineering fields and balance the dynamics of different stakeholders to bring efficient processes to reality .
The future chemical engineer must continue to be adaptive in the new highly disruptive world by tapping into lifelong learning and having a solid foundation of the process fundamentals .
The career of a chemical engineer is certainly far reaching , evolving and versatile !
Note : The interviewees ’ roles are correct at the time of writing ( November 2020 ).
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