Engineering the Integrated Engineer

From the Financial Times today in their special The Future of the Car section - - Automation Revolution Puts Focus on Soft Skills by Patrick McGee:

"Auto engineering students are learning that future-proofing their jobs means broadening their horizons beyond the confines of their subjects and into technology, communication and design.

Take the carmakers who sponsor the graduate programme at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, South Carolina.  They no longer want mechanical, chemical or computer engineers - they look for recruits who have all these skills and can integrate thinking from each.

"We need engineers that link across disciplines," says Paul Venhovens, BMW endowed chair in automotive systems integration at the university.

The jargon is "T-shaped" graduates: the vertical line represents depth of expertise, while the horizontal is an ability to communicate across technological and cultural barriers to spur innovation, so-called "soft skills".  Me. Venhovens says these will become increasingly important, adding: "I cannot teach that from a textbook."