Highly Recommended Text:

Bastion, A. 2006. 4th ed.

Singapore in a Nutshell: Nuggets
for National Education.
Singapore: Prentice-Hall.

1
… close attention in class
frequently will give major clues
pertaining to the nature of future
examination questions … (Beakley,
G.C. & Leach, H.W. 1982. Engineering, an
introduction to a creative profession . NY:
MacMillan).

2
 *ENGINEERS AND SOCIETY*
Singaporeans should take an interest
not just in areas that directly affect
them, but also in broader issues such
as trends in our society, our
aspirations for the future, or our role
in the region and the world…
(PM Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

3
 *ENGINEERS AND SOCIETY*
Objectives
•To foster pride in self as engineering
professionals

•To provide knowledge of the

engineering profession and society in
which engineers will take their place
4
*ENGINEERS*

5
PROFESSION:COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Overview (Reminder what u’re

supposed to be doing)
History (Brief)
Profession
Impact: Contribution and role
Issues & Challenges, Future
(more in Part II Members of Society)

6
SOCIETY

Brief history
Contemporary features
Issues and challenges
7
 SOCIETY

Public Housing
Education
Foreign policy and Asean
Multiracialism
National Campaigns (Book)
Principles of Governance
Issues and challenges
8
PROFESSION:COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Overview (Reminder what u’re

supposed to be doing)
History (Brief)
Profession
Impact: Contribution and role
Issues & Challenges, Future
(more in Part II Members of Society)

9
Why bother?

•Leadership position.
•Expectation of society.
•Nature of work &
responsibilities. 10
ENGINEERS AS PROFESSIONALS

•Computer Engineering located in

technology and engineering
•The pivot, main tool
•Expansion of boundaries ->>>
ICT
11
CLARIFYING WHAT WE ARE IN
(HAVE GOT INTO)

TECHNOLOGY
Engineering
Information Technology/Information
Communication Technology
Computer Engineering
YOU
Tech the umbrella – when we see what it means and encapsulates can see link – how one leads to and
involves the other.
What they have in common – service to humanity (exception of YOU – qn mark) 12
TECHNOLOGY
•Techne – manual arts.
•Since the Stone Age – link with engineering –
TOOLS – to make manual labor easier, more
productive, or unnecessary.
•New technologies today share same meaning
– new tools to make work easier.
•Improvement of life
•Services that enhance quality of life, even, in
some cases, creating or prolonging life.

You are a fellow person, a professional in the

field of technology. 13
ENGINEERING

…Ask yourself, what do I touch that is not

engineered? Engineering develops and delivers
consumer goods, builds the networks of highways,
air and rail travel, and the Internet, mass produces
antibiotics, creates artificial heart valves, builds
lasers, and offers such wonders as imaging
technology and conveniences like microwave ovens
and compact discs. In short, engineers make our
quality of life possible. …
14
Guess what, this is YOU.
Ingeniator – one who contrives – creates -need to modify
nature and create new and better world
Engineer first used to describe designers of ingenious
devices, most particularly, catapults for Roman armies.
Engineering probably when people began to be ingenuous to
adapt materials and forces of nature to meet needs.
From technology –Enormous range of disciplines from
Biomedical Engineering, through Telecommunications,
Computing and Photovoltaics to Petroleum Engineering.
Similar in innovative, but methodical approaches to problems
and their use of advanced computer technology.
Engineering is ultimately about creativity.

15
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN:Technology

Examples through ages – tools, pens, chairs, razor

blades, cars, ....

16
 Engineers Are Creators
20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century
(Poll by US National Association of Engineering)
1. Electrification 11. Highways
2. Automobile 12. Spacecraft
3. Airplane 13. Internet
4. Water Supply 14. Imaging
5. Electronics 15. Household Appliances
6. Radio and Television 16. Health Technologies
7. Agricultural Mechanisation 17. Petrochemical
8. Computers Technologies
9. Telephone 18. Laser and Fibre Optics
10. Air Conditioning / 19. Nuclear Technologies
Refrigeration 20. High Performance
Materials 17
 5th wave of innovation
(1990 - ?) - ? years
• Digital Networks
• Object-Oriented
Technology
• Multi-media
• Internet
• Internet Appliances
• Semiconductors - VLSI
• Fibre optics
• Broadband Technology
• Genetics
• Global Positioning System

18
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLGY
What next?

Overlap, link, and integration. Used loosely.

Computer as primary tool of whatever the

technology still at heart of it all

19
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Overview
Vast umbrella field
 All about data – what else, information.
Study and application
Processing, acquisition, storage
Management, movement, control, display
Development and use of hardware, software,
procedures

20
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Details
•Convergence of computer hardware, computer software
(products and services) and telecommunications (products
and services).
•Evolution of various “information systems” and “information
appliances.”
•Information Technology - various technology elements
used to collect, transform, manage or transmit data or
information.

The development, installation, and

implementation of computer systems and
applications.
21
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Any equipment or interconnected system

(subsystem) of equipment that includes all forms of
technology used to create, store, manipulate,
manage, move, display, switch, interchange, transmit
or receive information in its various forms.

Information can be in the form of: business data;

voice conversations; still images; motion pictures;
multimedia presentations and other forms including
those not yet conceived.

22
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY

Expansion of POWERS and scope of

technology
Umbrella term: Both computer and communication
technology.

Any communication device or application, encompassing:

radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network
hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well
as the various services and applications associated with them,
such as videoconferencing and distance learning. 23
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY – Singapore concept (known
as ICT-S)

Ranging from manufacturing to distribution of

ICT products, as well as high tech and
knowledge-based industries such as Internet
service providers, computer software
development, publishing and computer
schools.

All industries which produce, process, transmit

as well as facilitate use of information and 24

communication included in ICT-S.

*Added significance to INFORMATION
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The info-communications industry is the key

driver of the new knowledge-based economy.

As an emerging knowledge economy,

Singapore is riding the global tide in info-
communications technology (ICT). Singapore
intends to become a global hub in Asia for the
digital economy.
25
COMPUTER ENGINEERING :OVERVIEW
COMPUTER ENGINEERING (as u know)
encompasses the physical design of
computers and computer systems.

The growing needs of the information age

offer computer engineers wealth of
opportunities - finding applications for
computers in the medical, transportation,
telecommunications, and consumer
electronics industries.
26
New and innovative uses discovered
COMPUTER ENGINEERS
are involved in the process of
creating, developing,
integrating, sharing, and
applying knowledge about
electrical, computer and
information technologies and
sciences for the benefit of
humanity.
27
COMPUTER ENGINEERS
main goal which is significant
for professional status – Desire
to better the human condition
today and in the future through
the improved use of information.

Important topic ml

28
Skills (which u all have in plentiful)
•Good mathematical/logical skills
•Communication especially writing

Be able to :
Apply scientific concepts that they have learned,
using those mathematical skills.
Perform operations analysis in order to analyze
requirements and constraints on a project in order to
ensure that the final design does not exceed the
boundaries placed by management.
Troubleshooting since there are often design
problems and the engineer must be able to find the
sources of those problems. 29
COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Overview (Reminder what u’re

supposed to be doing)
History (Brief)
Profession
Impact: Contribution and role
Issues & Challenges, Future
(more in Part II Members of Society)
30
 Profession
What is this
How can we join up and where
How must we behave and act?
Why is computer engineering a profession
What are the issues and problems

Do we impact on society - Do we have roles,

functions - Do we contribute to society and economy
What’s ahead

31
WHAT IS A PROFESSION?

Summary Profession/professionalism

Satisfy indispensable and beneficial social

need.
Knowledge and values
Exercise of discretion and judgment –
higher intellectual plane
Group consciousness; individual
responsibility
Service motive – professional integrity and
ideals 32
Summary Profession/professionalism

Membership in professional association

Adherence to professional code of conduct,

ethics.

33
Why do we need professions?

Professions possess and have studied some

discipline in detail and depth and this enables them
to possess a specialized body of knowledge, which
is usually used in the advancement of
civilization.

So need to highlight or separate certain certain jobs

as professional, to give it status, to give
recognition to it as an occupation which society
needs as important for its functioning.
34
Why do we need professions?

Maintenance and progress of society usually and

traditionally assumed to be located and held by
professions.

Our society is complex today, and we as people

tend to depend and rely on professionals to
decide things for us, to create and maintain our
society, improve it further.

35
Why do we need professions?

Complexity of society will require knowledge

specialization and skills to run and maintain
society.

Especially technologically complex societies

require even greater application of specialized
knowledge than did/do simpler societies.

Society tends to be run by professionals.

Improvements, progress, usually initiated by
professionals.
36
Why do we need professions?

Professional possessing specialized knowledge

usually provide the leadership and guidance, the
directions for society to take.

Society tends to look to these for guidance derived

from the respect paid to professionals as persons
with character, knowledge, values – because
presence of professional association, code of ethics
– awe with which professionals are regarded.

Society expects professionals to have the answers.

37
Thots to think about

Do professionals create a class divide, a

hegemony of power?

Perpetuation of class, power, monopoly.

38
 Profession
What is this
How can we join up and where
How must we behave and act?
Why is computer engineering a profession
What are the issues and problems

Do we impact on society - Do we have roles,

functions - Do we contribute to society and economy
What’s ahead

39
HOW CAN WE JOIN UP AND WHERE?

Overall professional engineering bodies, agencies:

PEB, IES, IEE (Institution of Electrical
Engineers ) IEEE

Various others that network for interest, commerce

and industry: ACM, SCS, SiTF, etc.

Note on IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers, Inc. but so many related fields referred
to by the letters I-E-E-E (pronounced Eye-triple-E).
40
What are these? PEB, IES, IEE,
IEEE, etc.

PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS
In most mature of professional fields, such as
law and medicine, practitioners consider they
are first members of profession and secondly
employees of a particular institution or
organization.
41

•What it is
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATION

A body of practitioners who organize themselves

into a formal group to take care of :

•Interest of individual members (e.g. education,

information, compensation)
•Needs of profession itself (e.g. definition, image,,
performance standards, research, etc)
•Larger society (e.g. protection of needs of citizens
within the profession's domain).
42
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

Areas:

* Administration and fund-raising

* Educational programs
* Community service
* Conventions
* Public information
* Setting performance and safety standards
* Research and statistics
* Political education
*
43
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

* Setting ethical standards

* Setting professional standards
* Certifying professional standards
* Certifying performance standards
* Enforcing ethical standards
* Accreditation (of educational programs

44
Regulate practice of the profession as a public
service, that public interest always remains
paramount.

Membership services: Usually newsletters, practice

bulletins, continuing education seminars,
investigation into and preparation of new legislation
required by society, and generally keeping the
membership up to date on current practices.

For engineers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaHm1ecBCgw
45
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Cohesive, centralized, force – unity in strength - no

single practitioner can act alone to enlarge status or
importance of profession – especially professionals
in newer fields - join efforts under banner of an
association

See beyond narrow self-interest, to band together to

perform social functions which cannot perform as
individuals.
46
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Define nature and scope of field, maintaining

hospitable boundaries with adjacent fields, avoiding
"turf wars“. Example, computer engineering with
electrical/electronic.

Important - practitioners, employers - common

understanding of what constitutes field - shared
expectations, recruitment to the field, accreditation
procedures, education, etc.

As extension of this responsibility for defining field,

keeper of profession's image. 47
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Develop and enforce standards of professional

performance - among professional association's most
important roles.

Informed professionals will know better than

laypeople or one's works place associates what
levels of performance are possible and should be
expected.

Setting standards for education, certification or

licensing, and continuing education requirements.
48
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Important services - current, credible, and usable

information, education - enhancing competence and
thus quality of services - greater overall value to
profession.

Knowledge and information that leads to knowledge,

keys to any practitioner's livelihood. Stale
knowledge reflects badly on the public image of the
field, not merely practitioner.

Sponsors research
49
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Sets standards for level of education of field's

practitioners (e.g. undergraduate or graduate
degrees), length of formal training period (e.g. three
years for law and four for medical degree), courses
required, faculty credentials.

…It is at the college or university level that

preparations for the professions now occurs and
where a novice's knowledge base is initially
formed…

Also sets and reviews for continuing education.

50
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Self regulation – examples:

•Determination of entrance requirements

•Provision of system of registration to determine
qualifications of applicants
•Licensure of professional practitioners
•Maintenance of competency
•Establishing and maintaining code of ethics
•Establishment of standards of practice
•Receipt of and adjudication of complaints
•Administration of disciplinary process to sanction
members who fail to maintain established standards
51
and practices
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Responsible for defining and explaining in

operational terms ethical norms of field., example,
between practitioner and clients, between
practitioners themselves, and between the field and
the larger society.

Ongoing efforts to produce and maintain a code of

ethics or professional responsibility, develop
educational activities to make those ethical standards
come to life.
52
FUNCTIONS, ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Professional association not a "club," but some

valuable social functions - focal point for like-
minded, similar employment.

Local chapter meetings, regional and international

conferences, - opportunities to network, share.

Forum to address means by which field may build

expand to larger societal group, define its value
beyond a single workplace. Example, eco-education
efforts, fund raising, etc.
53
EXAMPLE/CASE: PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS BOARD (PEB)
Statutory board in Ministry of National Development.
Established since 1971 under the Professional Engineers Act
(Web: http://www.peb.gov.sg/peb/html/pea.html.)

PEB Mission: To safeguard life, property, and welfare of the

public by setting and maintaining high standards for registering
professional engineers, and by regulating and advancing the
practice of professional engineering.

PEB Scope: All engineering disciplines under PEB. All persons

engaging in professional engineering work expected to register
with PEB, or be supervised by a member of the Board.
54
Objectives and functions: Ensures standards in the
profession, that behavior and work upholds code of
conduct and reputation of profession. Details BB.

Qualifications
•Engineering degree acceptable to PEB (NTU, NUS
the standard)
•Sufficient length of post-graduate experience – if
minimum of two years experience, must take
Professional Practice Exam on Acts and Rules
governing practice before a Professional Interview.

To note
•PEB no mutual recognition agreement with overseas countries.
•Licensing if you want to set up company – no criminal record, resident in
55
Singapore.
Professional (Code of Engineer Rules
Professional Conduct & Ethics). More Later.
Prelim summary & explanation

•PEB the professional body engineers belong to. Act

is what instituted this body, and provided. PEB carries
out what the Act prescribes and stipulates.

•Code of Conduct and Ethics is prescribed by

Professional Engineers Act. PEB would use these
rules as mainstay code of conduct – engineers must
behave and act in accordance with these as members
of PEB.
56and
As a professional, u’d belong to the PEB, , the BODY, set up by the Act, and follow rules set up in the Code of Conduct
Ethics which comes from the Act, but is enshrined and part of the profession., thus required by the body PEB.
INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERS SINGAPORE
(IES)
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore, was formally
established in July 1966 as the national society of
engineers in Singapore. 166 founding members, now
more than 7000.

Mission Statement
As the national society of engineers for the
advancement of engineering in Singapore, our mission
is to advance and to promote the science, art and the
profession of engineering for the well-being of
mankind. (details objectives in BB file PEB)
57
Role and significance
•Premier engineering Institution in Singapore – recognized by
government as national body representing engineers in
Singapore.

•Called upon by Government to provide feedback on

professional engineering matters. IES members sit on many
government committees - a crucial role - no other learned body
in Singapore that can represent all engineers in serving national
interest.

•Strategic links with specialised international institutions,

professional organisations of engineers throughout the world, to
ensure footing in global network of technology advances.

•Close links with other more specialised engineering bodies in

Singapore, example, IEEE, IEE, etc. 58
Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)

Worldwide organisation of 140,000 members, in 124 countries,

of which 1500 in Singapore.

Membership anyone who values and benefits from association

with leading organisation in electrical, electronic, manufacturing
engineering, telecommunications, computing and IT.

Founded in London in 1871, now a transnational professional

organisation of engineers and scientists in the areas of
electrical, manufacturing and information engineering.

IEE goals in to enhance the technical performance and well

being of members, to improve performance of the Singapore
economy as well as that of the whole world.
59
Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers
(IEEE)
365,000 members in over 150 countries. Singapore section:
28-years. About 3000 members. Main objectives and functions :

•Organization of IEEE activities, administrative, technical,

educational, professional or social

•Scientific and educational, directed towards advancement of

theory and practice of electrical engineering, electronics, radio
and allied branches of engineering, and related arts and
sciences.

•Professional, directed towards advancement of standing of

members, example, collaboration with public bodies and with
other societies for benefit of engineering professions as60 a
whole, and establishment of standards of qualification and
ACM (Association for Computer Machinery)
http://www.acm.org

Founded in 1947, world's first educational and

scientific computing society. Advancing computing
technology and promoting a more responsible world
in which to use it.

Over 80,000 members. Major force in advancing skills

of information technology professionals and students
worldwide. Singapore chapter.

Industry's leading Portal to Computing Literature,

authoritative publications and pioneering
conferences, providing leadership for the 21st 61

century.
SINGAPORE COMPUTING SOCIETY (SCS)
www.scs.org.sg/

Established in 1967. Membership of over 20,000.

Largest IT professional body in Singapore.

Provides wide range of events, example, seminars

& conferences, publications and access to network
of specialists. Extensive network with other
organizations.

Student chapter. 62
SINGAPORE COMPUTING SOCIETY (SCS)

Administers National IT Skills Certification

Programme - avenue to recognition and career
development.

Enables members, IT professionals, to contribute to

growth of IT industry in region. IT voice for
community.

Premier society for IT practitioners by adding value

to their professional careers and personal
development.
63
The Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF)

Singapore’s premier infocomm industry association.

Around 500 corporate members from MNCs and local

companies. Collectively, members account for over
80% of the industry revenues.

Assists members in business development, market

intelligence, overseas trade missions, networking and
alliances, and provides support infrastructures for
harnessing the opportunities in a dynamic and
rapidly changing infocomm industry.

64
The Association of Information Technology
Professionals (AITP) (Web:
http://www.aitp.org/index.jsp)

Opportunities for Information Technology (IT)

leadership and education through partnerships with
industry, government and academia. AITP provides
quality IT related education, information on relevant
IT issues and forums for networking with experienced
peers and other IT professionals

Nearly 9,000 members.

65
All important question:
Would you consider
computer, IT software,
engineers, whatever,
professionals?

66
Computer engineers are members of the
engineering profession who specifically develop
solutions for the growing computer industry.
Computer engineers study the hardware, software,
and systems of computers.

Computer Engineers respond to the industry's

demand for professionals who are knowledgeable in
both hardware and software components. Their
integrated expertise allows for the efficient design
of computers and systems that include computers.

67
WHY C. ENGINEERS ARE PROFESSIONALS
Most engineers hold leadership, executive, managerial positions, positions where persons look to them for
professional example, expectations of moral and responsible code of conduct.

Engineers training and education, specialized knowledge also enables them to provide an important service
in society. This service, and services are important to the functioning of society. Thus as computer
professionals, people will rely on you to come up with new ideas to improve and advance our society. There
is also a dependence on computer professionals just to sort out our daily computer problems, because of
our almost total dpendence on computer itself to run our society. You have studied something and are
equipped with a specialised knowledge that no one has. Society would thus depend on you. Basic everyday
example – if our computers crash over the weekend and there is no computer person around to help us –
we are totally lost. Think about the increase of technological knowledge and computer expertise required to
run the MRT as opposed to buses. Now with integration of these transport services, even more complex –
and all dependent on the computer. Just the production and distribution of energy requires activity by many
engineers.

Professionals are primarily devoted to providing service, and only secondarily to making money. This has
been a traditional bulwark feature which separates the true professional from the riff-raff. Professionals are
also distinguished by their membership in professional associations. This will be part of the knowledge that
you will need to become yourself a respected member of the engineering profession, to contribute to society,
or at least, not to be a burden on society.

Why different from technician – doesn’t just do, questions why, how, seeks improvement – engineers!!!

Bastion’s last words : - Professionalism is a crucial part of your image. But nothing to do with clothes, but
character.

68
WHY COMPUTER ENGINEERS ARE
PROFESSIONALS

OVERALL, just like any other profession,

how individuals behave, conduct
themselves in relation to others, the
principles they manifest at work.
Computer engineers are no different.

Could be a profession but pointless if

individuals betray the code and bring
down the profession. 69
WHY COMPUTER ENGINEERS ARE PROFESSIONALS

How computer engineers fare with regard to

criteria

Difficulties
Indeterminate, fluid.

Diversity and complexity of field of computing. So

who are we talking about? Just look at range of what
computer engineers can do, how scope has
expanded to IT and now ICT. (Refer BB – what is a c.e. what they do)

Malleability. Used and applied everywhere, so identity

is to domain, not computer technology. Look at
curriculum – Information Studies, Information 70

Management, etc.
How computer engineers fare with regard to criteria

Application of criteria – fits the bill!!

But individuals need to build up reputation as

professionals not technicians.

Especially in Singapore, PEB dominant professional

body. Computer Engineering small part of. We need
to establish and dominate in own right – active
membership in own professional bodies such as
ACM, SCS.

71
DRAB’s last word on professionalism

Perhaps more an attitude, principles by which we

work, do our jobs, carry out responsibilities.

Is it just a job or is there something else driving us?

Are we doing it just for the money? Do we hope to
do something more with the knowledge we have,
contribute to society, make an impact, not just a
drone life – computer engineers easy to be drones –
sit on your butt and don’t move – anywhere.

72