What place for the engineer of tomorrow?

Engineer, a term to be defined

Engineer: A person whose knowledge makes him/her fit for active scientific or technical functions with a view to foreseeing, creating, organizing, directing, controlling the resulting work, as well as holding a management role.

Title given to someone who has completed certain studies and obtained a diploma for the practice of this trade.

I thought it would be interesting to begin this reflection with the definition of an engineer as it appears in the Larousse dictionary. Inspired by history, this very broad description of the engineer's profession seems to me to be hollow.

Engineering has always existed. Indeed, the great constructions of ancient Egypt already prove that a form of knowledge and organization existed in the works undertaken. Later, in ancient Greece, others studied the world and built machines to shape it. These men, generally called scholars, did not yet have the title of engineer. Nevertheless, their functions are close to the definition quoted above. In fact, at that time, an engineer is a person who holds knowledge.

It is only much later, in the 1750s, that the title of engineer will appear. It was then used to designate those who worked in the military sector: armament or reconstruction of cities. In France, this term will evolve until our days to become the one quoted in introduction.

I think it is important to remember that this definition only applies in France. In the Anglo-Saxon world, for example, the term 'engineer' refers to a technician. In reality, there is no title of engineer, but rather a recognized level of study. This is very important here because it indicates the social importance of the engineer in French society. Indeed, an engineer is systematically an executive.

Now that the introductions are done, let's get to the heart of the matter. After 5 years of engineering studies, I should be able to give a definition of the job I was trained for. Nevertheless, when I was questioned yesterday 'We don't know what it means to be an engineer anyway' I found it difficult to answer. A baker makes bread, a mechanic repairs cars, but an engineer, today, we don't know what he does.

Then, I consulted the dictionary to try to see more clearly. Even if the definition has changed a lot over time, the current one still doesn't suit me. I find it too narrow and anachronistic. So let's try to find an alternative.

What does an engineer do?

First of all, after 5 years of schooling, I can say that the student-engineer learns a lot... Historical heritage and necessity, the engineer needs to master the techniques and theories that will allow him to solve the challenges he faces. The answer he provides is already theoretical, and then it requires concrete application. Thus, during the different phases of the project's life, his work generally boils down to development: technological development, economic development, organizational development, human development. Very often, the mission entrusted to him allows the economic growth of the company.

But in a world where this growth is being challenged, does the engineer still have a place in society?

Growth & Degrowth

In economics, growth refers to the evolution of GDP from one year to the next. More generally, it corresponds, for a nation, to a sustained and lasting increase in the production of goods and services captured by indicators such as GDP. The GDP measures the total production of goods and services within a country during a given period. These 2 concepts are very important because they represent an overview of the economic health of a country.

Beyond that, the GDP is correlated with the resources of a country. Indeed, if this notion measures the production of wealth, it is also necessary to take into account the resources drawn down. These resources, of many forms, are finite at the time scales that are those of a human. For example, the share of GDP produced by the petrochemical industry is related to the oil resource present in the world; a resource that is reaching its limits.

Here we arrive at a paradox: In a finite world, where natural resources are present in finite quantities, our economy is made to tend towards infinite growth. In reality, since our resources are finite, then, growth is too.

Today, and faced with the scarcity of natural resources, some economists imagine degrowth as an economic future. In other words, the future would not be played out on technological overkill to preserve natural resources, but rather on technological degrowth.

The engineer of tomorrow

Already, I think it will no longer be a tool for technological development but rather to the transition that awaits us. Indeed, one of the great dilemmas of tomorrow is to ensure a technological, economic and social transition that is not synonymous with regression. To caricature the line, this means rethinking the way we consume, putting the environment at the center of the debate and therefore using and developing technology in a different way.

The engineer of tomorrow will be more than ever included in society and in the way it is rethought. I think he will have to "get out of his office". He will no longer act for the benefit of a company but for a greater purpose.

The responsibility of schools

It is in this context that schools must train engineers. The burden is heavy and the stakes are high. Some have already begun to change their teaching curriculum. Some of them are opening low-tech courses in their training, others are content with a social responsibility and environment course, and very recently, a school dedicated to low-tech will open its doors: the LowTech Skol

That being said, I find these efforts still insufficient to grasp the world of tomorrow. Indeed, how can schools that base their curriculum on a biased market situation have strong ecological ambitions, in line with global environmental objectives?

Moreover, if the engineer of tomorrow is to be part of society, then, as with the sciences, he or she must first understand it. Schools should therefore also include in their curriculum training on society, its functioning, the economy and anthropology.

The responsibility of the students

Finally, I must end this article by talking about the students. They are the ones who must define the engineer of tomorrow. It will be up to them to build the world of the future.

On my side, I managed to find my definition of the job: Person who questions the world around him and reinvents it.

Much simpler than the Larousse definition, isn't it?