Post-graduate activities in electrical engineering

The purpose of the paper is to focus attention on the important period following apprenticeship, to review present facilities for post-graduate work during this period, and to consider the possibility of still more collaboration between industry and the universities. In order to develop the theme, a brief review is made of the basic education and training of electrical engineers up to the close of apprenticeship. The rate of increase in technical staff required to meet the steady expansion of the industry, without lowering standards, is then considered. A period of vital importance follows apprenticeship, for then the engineer should begin to develop creative power. The creative faculty is linked with concentration of effort, from which arises the need for specialization. The paper goes on to describe the present post-graduate activities in industry, the universities and the technical colleges, and in particular the collaboration between the authors´ own organization and the local technical college. Special courses based on industry are described, particularly the advanced engineering course. The close collaboration between industry and the universities and colleges characterizing present activities should be extended to future activities. The proposed future activities are discussed at length, especially the problem of post-graduate research, which, it is suggested, might be done mainly in industry rather than wholly at the university. Quantitative data give the records of approximately 200 members of representative design departments.