On November 17, 2008, the Heldrich Center joined with the Harvard University School of Law and National Bureau of Economic Research to host a national forum on the Future of Engineering in the United States. Bloustein School Professor Hal Salzman and Harvard Professor Richard Freeman welcomed 30 of the nation’s leading employers, scholars, and deans of engineering schools to identify key obstacles to strengthening America’s engineering workforce.

The day-long session was part a Sloan Foundation research initiative that will document the new skills and career paths that American engineers need to compete effectively with colleagues from around the world. Speakers from Google, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, IBM, ConocoPhillips, NuStar Energy, and the National Science Foundation told participating educators that the nation must reinvent its training systems in order to keep pace with changes transforming critical fields such as nanotechnology, chemical engineering, and information technology.

The Heldrich Center will post a summary of the event online later in December. For more information, email Dr. Salzman.