The original idea for my research project was to examine the influence of China’s Communist Regime on the countries engineers. My project will include how the social and economical positions of engineers has changed during this specific time period. In addition, it will also express status of engineers as a working and contributing member of the country as they express their national commitment through their employment. I originally was curious if the traditional motives behind engineering education a result of public pressure to move away from Confuciust ideal. However, through my research I found that there was little research on this topic and I became more interested in the current influence of Hong Kong.
With Hong Kong’s recent return to China, the job opportunities for engineers will increase enormously along with the quality of living. With more international companies providing needed positions engineering jobs will transition to a more global model. This move will detract from the traditional system of life long jobs that are dedicated to the state. The new perspective of my project will compare the traditional image of engineering education, its history, role in society and prediction for future generations to the new ways of Hong Kong. Will Hong Kong’s conflicting ways cause problems on a political level or will this secure China’s place as a global technology leader?
This might be a really good opportunity to compare a few buildings or projects that took place under the British rule and then under Chinese rule. If you could identify certain characteristics that were apparent during the engineering practices of one nation and then contrast them with characteristics of the other. Maybe the building height has grown, maybe materials have changed, maybe the financing structure is different. I wonder what changing from the British control to Chinese control did to the public education system. Did course requirements change?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that Hong Kong has been booming, but also that it is the most capitalistic city in China. The government basically took a hands off approach to adding new regulation, or at least that was the plan soon after the transition. Do the communist/socialist practices of the Chinese government promote organization of resources in Hong Kong, or does it scare away potential new talent?