Engineering for the World

 

Engineering is one of the pillars of industry in science and technology. The 21^st century is primarily about the constant presence of technology. Almost every invention was made from the exploration and discovery of science and technology, including vehicles, technological instruments, industrial equipment, and your everyday household utility. The development of science and technology in recent years has been even more rapid with the advancement of the fourth industrial revolution.

Nowadays, almost everyone owns at least one smart phone and/or a technological gadget. The technological revolution began around the year 1992 with IBM, but the true smartphone revolution did not really start until Macworld 2007, when Steve Jobs revealed the first iPhone. Previous phones relied on keypads and could only navigate a watered-down version of the Internet. Now most things  can be done from smart phones – work, entertainment, shopping, and yes, even dating. All this is because of the creativity and hard work of scientists, engineers and technologists. 

Engineers play an important role in the development and progression of the world. The existence of the engineering sector in any country will help to upgrade the quality of life for its citizens. As an example, biomedic engineers help to boost the medical industry. All vaccines, medicines and other health-related consumables for hospitals and clinics can be mass-produced in a short time now.

This is all due to the progress of our automation technology for the production line. Recently, we have seen how the vaccines for the COVID-19 can be mass-produced in a short time by pharmaceutical companies around the world, such as Pfizer/BioNtech and AstraZeneca/Oxford. If we still relied on manual or traditional production methods, mass production for the COVID-19 vaccine could never have been imagined, let alone managed. This would mean that the fatalities of the COVID-19 would be so much higher than what they are today.

In recent years, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) was sparked by the steady development of the Internet. It leapfrogged further with the aid of cloud technology, which is connecting the world and driving a shared economy. The role of an engineer keeps on progressing with time. Time has proven that technological changes are inevitable, and most of these technologies are developed by engineers. 

A primary aspect of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is that machine power is replacing human and animal power. For example, steam engines were developed into pump water from mines, replacing human- or animal powered pumps. In the same manner, our methods of engineering have been greatly transformed. Instead of traditional and conventional machines, many manufacturing companies now use Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. This advancement moves in alignment with the IR4.0 implementation. 

With the progression of technology, engineering programmes in universities are also progressing towards the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Engineering as a profession has always been promising, but in today’s world, as we move forward, it promises so much more. Engineers basically hold the future of the world in their hands. 

If you wish to be part of this world, speak to our counsellors by visiting: www.mahsa.edu.my

Words by : Ts. Najmi Haziq Bin Badrulhisam