[Assam] Math First: Harvard & UVa study on college science success

[Chan Mahanta]

At 8:35 PM -0700 7/27/07, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:
>I guess you have not met too many of the graduate engineers from 
>India recently. Many of them ( not too many)  are very capable of 
>solving engineering problems using the modern tools that are 
>available these days. it is especially true in chemical engineering 
>and control systems engineering where it requires math skills as 
>well as a good understanding of the basic physical problem.



*** I am not speaking of software writing skills. Not to devalue it. 
But software engineering is only ONE of a variety of engineering 
disciplines that have been at the forefront of human civilization. 
The most significant  innovations that have  changed the quality of 
human lives   were results of creative engineering much before 
software writing emerged. Can you cite India's contributions to it?




>
>However when it comes to the 30,000 ft level, to solve India's flood 
>and drought problem and India's food storage and distribution 
>problem etc. - I don't think the engineers in India are being 
>creative enough to tackle the problem at the roots.


*** Why do you think it is so? Is it because they have no talent, 
emerged out of the wrong gene pools?
Or something else?


>  Back to your email - no undergraduate engineering school (not even 
>in USA) prepares a student to be truly creative. A few more years in 
>grad school does.


***  That must have been a slip of the pen--I mean typing finger. I 
also realize it was late in the evening :-). The truth is that 
creative thinking begins not in grad. school, but in high school and 
even earlier.  Obviously you have not  paid any attention to what 
American high school kids generate as engineering or scientific 
projects. It is not accidental that these kids produce mind-blowing 
stuff -- they are spotted, nurtured, encouraged and supported to 
produce the trail-blazing engineers and scientists of tomorrow.


And even if we were to accept the notion that creativity in 
engineering comes about only after a few years of grad. school, what 
have we seen as results of all the engineering grad. schools from 
India that have contributed to changing India's lot, never mind about 
human civilization?

Finally, can you cite the ways in which YOU were challenged, 
nurtured, encouraged to be CREATIVE in YOUR undergraduate engineering 
training in India?  And how does that compare with your graduate 
training in the USA?



>
>I was surprised to see that you are talking about  "something Indian 
>engineering schools rarely help develop" which goes to show that you 
>are still thinking Indian for Assam in your unguarded moments.


*** Different issues. Just because I am a supporter of Assam's right 
to take charge of its own affairs, does not mean I have to pretend 
that the Indian system does not exist and does not operate in Assam.


:-)






>:-)
>Dilip
>
>
>Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>At 1:33 PM -0700 7/27/07, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:
>
>>Netters with interest in science will find this article 
>>interesting. Math is used in all sciences, so obviously good 
>>fundamental knowledge in math helps students in all branches of 
>>science. A good grasp of math in high school helps engineering 
>>students as well, across the board.
>>
>
>
>*** And that is exactly why it is so essential to have a sound 
>primary education where math fundamentals  take root or die. If you 
>look at the percentage of students in Assam who have a decent 
>knowledge of math fundamentals, you will know why so few excel in 
>science, technology etc.
>
>But there is more to it: Ability to do good math, by and of itself, 
>does not guarantee success as an engineer or scientist. One can do 
>well in the academic exams, can even get good jobs, not just as 
>engineers, but in a lot of other fields, but real engineering also 
>requires creativity -- something Indian engineering schools rarely 
>help develop, while not everyone is endowed with an ability or have 
>the aptitude to develop it .
>
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>>Dilip
>>
>==================================================================
>
>umesh sharma <jaipurschool at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/home/news_and_events/releases/science_07262007.html
>
>Umesh Sharma
>
>Washington D.C.
>
>1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
>
>Ed.M. - International Education Policy
>Harvard Graduate School of Education,
>Harvard University,
>Class of 2005
>
>http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
>
>http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
>
>
>
>
>www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
>
>
>
>
>http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
>
>
>Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, 
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