Chemical Engineers for the 21st Century - Challenges for University Education

Abstract

At the beginning of the 21st century, the education of chemical and process engineers is facing enormous challenges. The number of new students has dropped substantially since the early 1990s. The globalization of the world's economy has altered the working environment and the job market for chemical engineers. The areas in which chemical engineers are active now extend far beyond the boundaries of the chemical industry. As a result, universities are having to compete much more, not only for undergraduate and graduate research students but also in order to keep courses and even departments open. This paper aims to shed some light on the current situation at the universities, the changes in the conditions and job environment in the chemical engineering field, and the demands being placed on tomorrow's chemical and process engineers and on the education they receive. From an organizational point of view, it is important that the universities actively participate in and influence this ongoing process of change. In terms of course content, increasing emphasis must be placed on teaching students modern, relevant engineering knowledge and methodological and systematic skills, as well as those aspects of their education that are relevant for the ever more flexible, interdisciplinary and intercultural nature of chemical engineering work. Elements that could usefully contribute include support for study abroad programs and the provision of broad, high-quality extra-curricular studies. Despite the changes that have occurred, such as the introduction of new (bachelor and master) degrees, it is essential that the universities retain their characteristic and established profiles. At the same time, it is important to make the universities more accessible to well-qualified graduates from Germany's Fachhochschulen (universities of applied science).