Abstract:
There has been continuous improvement of curricula and tha current process of educcation have evolved
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University o! ZZZTnggerrt
by the major structural and curricula changes that are taking place at the
University of Moratuwa now under the Government's new higher
education fool icy for Sri Lanka, the Department considered it as timely
to recast its educational strategy. This action has been fuelled by
drastic changes that have been taking place in a cumulative manner in the
demand pattern for mechanical engineers in general as well as
mechanical engineering education system in the University. As has been
pointed out by many researchers into Business Process Re-engineering
(1), the time is ripe now for changing from the strategy of continuous
improvement temporarily, for a complete Re-engineering exercise as
drastic change is the need of the hour in response to the changes, both
external as well as internal, that have taken place resulting in a
cumulative effect on educational performance. The author presents a
model that has been validated based on his experience of over 25 years in
the field of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Management.
His conclusions are based on his study of the changing teaching
environment, in Sri Lanka and overseas and the industrial environment
mainly seen through a significant number of industry based projects and
other activities he has conducted. The general conclusion is that drastic
changes are now necessary in both mechanical engineering industry and
educational curricula as well as in the related organisational structure for
education in order to make mechanical engineering education competitive
beyond 2000, in both local as well as global market.
