Moving Forward with (Coastal) Engineering Practice and Education

1. Moving Forward with (Coastal) Engineering Practice and Education J. W. Kamphuis Queen’s University Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6 kamphuis@civil.queensu.ca CSCE St. John’s NL, May 2009 Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

2. Companion Paper Moving forward with (Coastal) Design and Management J. W. Kamphuis Queen’s University Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6 kamphuis@civil.queensu.ca CSCE-ASCE-ICE Triennial Conference, St John’s , NL, June 2009 Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

3. 1. What do (Coastal) Engineers do? Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

4. Education • We (should) design Systems (as opposed to Structures). • A Coastal System consists of: • a Physico-Environmental Subsystem(PES), which is the Structures+ the Environment in which they function, • a Socio-Economic Subsystem(SES), the people, governments, economy Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

5. PES PES SES SES • And… The system is not just any combination of PES and SES, but SES must form the Base of Support for the PES Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

6. Coastal Issue Decision Makers Coastal Engineers Project Formulation Coastal Scientists Project Design Implementation Early Decision Making (Used Ad hoc) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

7. Contemporary Decision Making Regulation Government Coastal Managers Coastal Issue Law Coastal Engineers Decision Makers Knowledge Physics Coastal Scientists Problem Formulation Chemistry Theoretical and Empirical Relationships Biology Alternatives Geology Others Modelling (uncertainties) Approvals Public Input Implementation Judgment Governments Non-Gov’t Orgs Monitoring Solution Studies, Policy etc. OR Engineering Interest Groups Socio-Economic Input from Stakeholders Citizens Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

8. Contemporary Decision Making • Contemporary:Based on Democratic Principles; relevant to countries with democratic governance, e.g. Canada, US, EU. There are still many jurisdictions with different (often simpler) rules and processes, based on their particular cultures. • Decision Making:Can refer to projects that are basicallynon-engineering(e.g. studies, policy formulation, ICM strategies) or toengineeringprojects, involving design of works. Emphasis in this presentation will be on the more difficult and controversial engineering design projects. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

9. Desk Study Approval The Design Process Knowledge (Theory and Experience) and Prototype Data Post- Implementation Design Preliminary Design Preliminary Design Preliminary Design Modelling Modelling Modelling Design Implementation Approval Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

10. Contemporary Design Process SES Government Stakeholders Public Resilience Knowledge PES System Design Definitions Requirements Opportunities Design Concepts Design Pre-Design - Communication Decision Makers (often Government) Resilient System Resilient System Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

11. Education Contemporary Design Concepts • Resilience(bounce-back from failure; involves PES and SES) • PESDesign (structures + impacts) • SESinvolvement (stakeholders, public,government,regulations) • Pre-Engineering(necessary preparatory work) • Design tasks include (much)communication(≥1/2?) PES – Physico-Environmental System SES – Socio-Economic System Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

12. Note on Communication: Engineering students (as well as practicing engineers) can not simply assume that their audience is in agreement, because their reasoning includes the best technical knowledge available. Engineers must learn to listen and then argue their case for various audiences (such as clients, government, stakeholders and courts of law) and make their presentations fitting and convincing. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

13. Education 2. What are (Coastal) Engineers taught? Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

14. Education At University, • Researchis emphasized because it: • generates university income • creates reputation. • Evaluationof Profs is essentially by number of papers. • To produce all those papers, Profs • Focus on research to the exclusion of (almost) everything else • publish in little tidbits • many authors per paper • concentrate on quick research methods (e.g. computer results, instead of field and laboratory work) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

15. Education Engineering Research at University Generation Understanding 1 Broad ? ? ? ? Narrower and Deeper 2 3 Narrower and Deeper Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

16. Education Narrower and Deeper because: • Science type funding • Antiquated belief in Scientific (Science) Method • This teaches Analysis (not Synthesis) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

17. Education What about teaching ? • In the past, teaching was mainly via lectures, supported by tutorials • Lectures and tutorials were based on prof’s engineering experience • Notes became handbooks - directly applicable, practical (engineering) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

18. Education Teaching now • Still mostly lectures and tutorials. • Lectures and tutorials often consist of some general engineering stuff from textbooks + prof’s (research) experience • Profs’ experience, (mainly from research) is not a good base for a broad, general engineering education Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

19. Education That is not all: • Everyone in class is enchanted by • Formulas, models (bling) • “Engineering” solutions • Emphasis is on “Real Engineering” • “Flaky stuff” (e.g. communication, leadership, stakeholders) does not appeal and isnot “core material” • Gross Mismatch with Contemporary Tasks Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

20. Contemporary Decision Making SES Government Stakeholders Public Resilience Knowledge PES System Design Definitions Requirements Opportunities Design Concepts Design Pre-Design - Communication Decision Makers (often Government) Resilient System Resilient System Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

21. Education Result: • Students are taught (and want to focus on) narrow, specific subjects; narrower and more specific as U/G →MSc→PhD. • Graduates will feel most comfortable if they can find work within their “silo” • This is not good for • innovation, • lateral thinking, • broad conceptual thinking • Synthesis (design) • Interaction with non-peers • Project management Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

22. Moving Forward How can (must?) WEMove Foreward? This is whereyou come in Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

23. Moving Forward What? • Get thoseprofsto doengineering. • Understand engineering problems • Teach engineering • Do engineering research • Get thosestudentsto understandengineering • Get thoseuniversitiesto understandengineering • Incorporate thelatest (applied, applicable) researchon the shop floor. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

24. Moving Forward How? • “Get thoseprofsto doengineering” and “incorporate thelatest applied and applicable researchon the shop floor” - Get those profs into industry more often; establish engineering chairs; encourage industry sabbaticals, etc. • Get thosestudentsto understandengineering.Get practicing engineers into universityto teach, mentor and interact with students and get thosestudents on the shop floorthrough co-op programs, practical years, etc. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

25. Moving Forward How? (4 Pts) • Get thoseuniversitiesto understandengineering Get engineers and university administratorstogether to define contemporary engineering and to update engineering education. • Related topic: Getengineers, universitiesand funding agencies togetherto define engineering research better and to direct funding specifically to engineering research. All within (global) market constraints (who pays?) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

26. Moving Forward Basic Need: We must translate intrinsic values into $$ values • Excellence of graduates translates into: • Enhanced reputation of university ($$) • Better applicants, greater enrollments ($$) and better standards • Better potential employers and greater industry support ($$?) • Better engineers translate into • Enhanced reputation of firm → more work→greater profits ($$) • Fewer delays in obtaining approvals (big $$) Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

27. Moving Forward Some Possible Plans: • Develop criteria for better engineering (university and industry work together) • Change evaluation • Of Academics by no of papers, • Of Universities by quality of research, • Of Engineers by billable hours, • Of Engineering contracts by lowest cost, • Of Graduates by marks Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

28. Moving Forward More Possible Plans: • Develop greater interactionbetween academia and engineering to increase mutual understanding • Professional internships and sabbaticals – academics (and students) into industry and engineers into universities. • Start making $$ value of such exchanges explicit Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

29. Moving Forward Some Bold Moves • Challenge Universities and Funding bodies to understand what engineering education and research is. They have both lost sight of, or are ignoring, what needs to be accomplished in these fields. • Encourage sabbaticals into industry (instead of research sabbaticals or even stay-at –home sabbaticals) • Establish Engineer in Residence programs Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

30. Moving Forward More Bold Moves: • (Re) develop the concept of Engineering Apprenticeships Graduates work as apprentices for a specified time. Apprenticeships are funded by a combination of salary and subsidy (see below) and are co-supervised by an engineer and a professor (much like an industrial masters degree) • Set up an Engineering Education Foundation to fund such new moves • …… Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

31. Moving Forward • Some of this sounds like engineering education would be better given in the colleges, rather than in the universities. More teaching and more practical teaching. More directly applicable research, involving design (synthesis), less science-type research (analysis). • Not so – Engineers need a complete university education, including the arts, sciences, business, etc. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

32. Moving Forward • Engineering involves high levelknowledge of applied maths and sciences • Engineers also need high levelskills education (e.g. leadership, communication) • Leadership involves management, psychology, conflict resolution, design competence, etc. • Communication involves broad educational background, history, philosophy, confidence with design concepts, etc. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

33. Moving Forward The Answer??? • Engineering students need high leveluniversity education to develop their analytical and problem solving skills and more exposure to engineering practice. • Engineering Practice and the Universities, Engineers and Academics need to sit down together to map out strategies and plans and find funding for changes and improvements. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

34. Moving Forward The Answer? • Good beginnings are: • Co-op programs • Practical year • Summer jobs (unfortunately fewer!) • We need much more and new initiatives as discussed above • And we need the collective will to face this opportunity, to fund it and to work it. Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis

35. Thank You This and the companion presentations are be posted on:www.civil.queensu.ca Moving Forward (1) J.W. Kamphuis