Preparing Students for the Challenging Job Markets over the Next Decade

Abstract

The introduction of high-speed communication systems over the past few years has created many opportunities for academic and business communities, while some challenges resulted in its by-product. The high-speed information systems have opened the door for e-commerce and resulted in the appearance of numerous online cyber entrepreneurial activities. While the cyber entrepreneurship and e-commerce heralded the lower costs for potential consumers, these systems limited the number of customers visiting the “brick and mortar” stores and shrunk the traditional commercial activities. Although business and commerce schools have been at the forefront of e-commerce, the engineering schools have tried to incorporate e-commerce and online education to their array of courses offered to their students. Many engineering schools have long realized the new shifts demanded in their traditional classes based on the advice of their constituencies and the industry advisory board members.

Other areas that have highly been focused on by Texas A&M University at Qatar campus are leadership and communications. Texas A&M University at Qatar has heavily concentrated on strengthening students’ skills in communications and leadership. Almost 100% of students enrolled at Texas A&M University at Qatar engineering programs are bilingual where English is their second language. The multinational petrochemical industry operating in Qatar demand proficiency in English and the ability to lead and manage companies’ different divisions and initiatives.

This article presents Texas A&M University at Qatar’s experience over the past few years in revisiting its curricula offered in four engineering degree programs in general and the petroleum Engineering Program in particular with regard to the introduction of computer-intensive courses aimed at acquainting students with e-commerce and strengthening students’ skills in communications and leadership.