Repository: UIHistories Project: SWE - Proceedings of the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists [PAGE 179]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

In my opinion, the combined activities of universities, industry and certain arms of the government will prove highly beneficial within the next few years, not only to the economic well-being of certain regions but also in continually pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge, both basic and applied. However, this cannot be accomplished if the pattern of higher education simply stands still and only adheres to the structure of the past. It is of ever-increasing importance that there be an enlarged pattern of so-called "continuing education" in order that the engineer in the industrial plant, or the Ph.D. who got his label some ten years ago, does not find himself suddenly outdated and obsolete. Continuous contact with the wavefront of advancing knowledge and ready means of updating are obviously going to be necessary for those engineers and scientists who hope to stay in important spots in the forward thrust of technology. The necessity for ready availability of continuing education has become very evident indeed to the defense and space industries, particularly during the last decade. A few of the larger national corporations are, within their own framework, providing such continuing education, but this fills only a small fraction of the need. Even in the case of those national industries, there is still call for close cooperation with the very best university faculties. Small and medium sized corporations have entered into the picture but very little, if any. The process is expensive and complicated, and it takes full cooperation of universities and government, as well as industry. It is interesting to note that the Sloan Foundation recently made a . $5 million grant to MIT to set up a pilot plant, or experimental operation, in continuing education for high-level scientists and engineers in order to arrive at the optimum pattern, not only for the type of education needed for updating scientists and engineers, but also for the best cooperative pattern with industry and with government. In the Spring of 1964, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn carried out a successful, intensive, three-week refurbishing course for middle-management engineering and scientific executives. In 1959, Governor Rockefeller established the New York State Advisory Council for the Advancement of Industrial Research and Development. This organization, the members of which are appointed by the Governor, comprises some 45 leaders of State Government departments, New York State industries, and universities. It has been exploring the possibilities of continuing education through a series of conferences. One of these was held at Sterling Forest, another at the Graduate Branch of the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn at Farmingdale, a third one was held at Columbia University last fall, and the next one will be held at the University of Rochester in November. No specific definitive action has come from these conferences as yet, but certainly these meetings have been very valuable in preparing the seedbed for a number of continuing education activities which I anticipate will be forthcoming in the not distant future. A great deal of national attention is being paid to the role of education in our economic well-being, particularly since President Johnson declared his War on Poverty. However, nearly all the attention (perhaps rightly

111-76