作者：V. C. PANDOLFELLI;M. RIGAUD;

作者单位：Universite de Montreal, Ecole Polytechnique, P.O. Box 6079, Montreal, Canada, H3C 3A7;Universite de Montreal, Ecole Polytechnique, P.O. Box 6079, Montreal, Canada, H3C 3A7

刊名：Journal of the Technical Association of Refractories

ISSN：0285-0028

出版年：2008-01-05

卷：28

期：1

起页：3

止页：7

分类号：TQ175

语种：英文

关键词：

内容简介

This essay has been undertaken to question how globalization, economic growth and rational thinking affect our civilization, having in mind the following objectives: 1) to preserve and to develop refractory education worldwide; 2) to recruit and train good refractory engineers. The kernel of the discussion is about the human resources needed. How to deal with the human factor and resistances to change in the higher education system? How do these two factors have an impact on training engineering students and refractory engineers in particular? The essay puts into context, the rise, fall and perhaps rebirth of refractory engineering education, in the Western World, considering the scientific and technical evolution of mankind and the role of engineering faculties when transmitting knowledge, trying to put into perspective refractory engineering specifities and to justify the needs to concentrate on the graduate's rather than the undergraduate's education level. The conclusion does confirm the needs for refractory engineering education to be reappreciated, particularly in the Western World and hence to implement new paradigms where creativity and empathy will be strongly valued, specifically in designed curricula. This is a current concern for the newly created international network of institutions and companies for refractory research and education: FIRE.