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Prosperity in the present century will depend on the
innovative skills and knowledge that can be successful
in the global economy. Much trade will take place in
elaborately transformed manufactured goods that have
very high values compared with the commodities from
which they are produced. The present century also presents
challenges in energy production and efficiency, high
quality water supplies, clean air, land management,
communications and transport.
These competitive and community needs will be met
by engineers who can work at the leading edge of technology
and, indeed, keep moving that edge forward. Engineers
who can make a significant contribution at that level
will need research training seen as World's Best Practice.
A PhD in engineering provides the necessary training
at the leading edge of technology. A PhD is internationally
recognised and inter-country standards are maintained
by using examiners from other countries. Undertaking
research in engineering is very different to undergraduate
studies. Most of the time is spent on a project under
the supervision of one or more academic staff and,
sometimes, senior industry-based researchers. PhD
scholars have
significant freedom in the choice of project and the
way the research is conducted and so such studies
provide
a significant opportunity to make an original contribution
to the core of engineering knowledge. Even to those
who eventually intend to become managers of engineering
enterprises, the skills in problem solving, the ingenuity
of experimentation and the critical analysis of results,
all of which are acquired in a research degree, are
immensely valuable.
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