More engineering students in India than in the US

June 08, 2007

Chandigarh: There are more students pursuing engineering in India than in the US. Also there are more women engineers in India. This was revealed by a delegation from the American Society of Engineering Education that visited Punjab Engineering College.

Citing the reasons for this Barbara M Olds, the Associate Vice-President for Educational Innovation at Colorado School of Mines, and representative of Society of Women Engineers said that in US most of the students start feeling in 8th grade that they do not like maths and science. They leave these subjects, so there is no question of them becoming engineers.

"In the first two years, only preparatory courses are taught. It is in the third year that the students get a flavour of what engineering is. By that time half of them want to quit." she says.

Kalpana Jain, Vice-President Academic Affairs, Vaughn College feels that the women want to work in those fields where they feel that they are serving people directly. They do not see this connection in engineering.
The group is here to focus on programmes of faculty development, curriculum, research and entrepreneurship. The aim is to improve engineering education at a global level.

Prof Krishna Vedula from University of Massachusetts observed that the number of engineering colleges in India were more than those in US. But going by that proportion qualified faculty available here was less. In order to retain good faculty pay scales should be competitive.

The representatives felt that they have a special connection with PEC as it was astronaut Kalpana Chawla's alma mater. (Ludhiana Newsline)