This document discusses several topics related to engineering education, including: 1. It proposes a model curriculum structure with categories of courses (mathematics/science, humanities, engineering science, etc.), number of credits, and when they should be taken. 2. It discusses emerging engineering subjects like synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and more. 3. It addresses pedagogical issues like improving skills in teamwork, ethics, and understanding of government/economics. 4. Curriculum revision is a major task that includes updating course objectives, outcomes, syllabi, and potentially removing/adding subjects. In summary, the document outlines models for engineering curriculum design and addresses challenges in re

1. Prof. Gautam Biswas, FNA
JC Bose National Fellow and Director
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

2. First IR: 1775 Triggered by the Prime Movers.
Technology and Manufacturing
became the deciding factor for
World Power
Second IR: 1970 Triggered by the Transistors.
Microelectronics,
Computers and Communication.
Knowledge-based industry and
Information Technology
transformed the society and
started playing a major role in
World Economy.

3. FIRST TRANSISTOR BY BARDEEN 1947
A MODERN VLSI CHIP
CONTAINING MILLIONS
OF TRANSISTORS IN AN
AREA OF ABOUT 1 cm2

4. Energy is stored in the covalent bonds between phosphates.
ADP + Pi + Energy ATP
Hydrolysis of ATP
ATP ADP + Pi
ENERGY

5. • Data and Image analysis
• Genomics, Proteomics, Biomics
• TEM, FE-SEM
• Telemetry
• Bio- Informatics
• Materials for Implants and Prostheses
• Robotics, cognitive, sensory
• Real Time In vivo sensors
• Biochips
• In order to accommodate emerging
Subjects, some subjects could be
Dropped. Mechanism for dropping?
Lipson

7. EMERGING ENGINEERING SUBJECTS
Molecular Engineering
Synthetic Biology
Smart Macromolecules and Intelligent Materials
Manufacturing by Self Assembly of Materials
Artificial Intelligence, Self Learning, Self
Correction
Self Replication

8. Many graduates are unable to take into consideration
economic, societal, and ethical considerations; unable to
work in teams. We require to look for remedies.
Increased economic gap between engineering and
practitioners of the ‘professions’. Also there is very little
understanding among the graduates about functioning of
the Government.
A plethora of new concepts (especially wrong
interpretation of Industry-connect) for better pedagogical
approaches for engineering . This issue requires more
focus and better understanding.

9. ABET Engineering Criteria 2000, EC 2000,
formalized some of the objectives of the reform in
the US.
‘Objectives’ and ‘Outcome’ are deciding parameters
Six progressive stages of cognitive thinking, known
as Bloom’s taxonomy, are:
(i) Recall, (ii) Comprehension, (iii) Application, (iv) Analysis
(v) Synthesis and (vi) Evaluation
Cognitive learning is demonstrated by knowledge recall and
the intellectual skills: comprehending information,
organizing ideas, analyzing and synthesizing data, applying
knowledge, choosing among alternatives in problem-solving
and evaluating ideas or actions.

10.  The current trend world over is to structure the academic programmes
in a Credit based academic system
 The Credits are defined for the activities of the teaching-learning
programme built into the curriculum.
Curriculum
L-T-P-C
calculation
Number of one-hour lectures per week = L
Number of tutorial-hours per week = T
Number of practical (laboratory) hours per week = P
Credit point for the course = C
One hour lecture in a week = 1 Credit
One hour tutorial in a week = 1 Credit
Two hours laboratory work in week = 1 Credit
The Credit nomenclature of a course unit is denoted by L-T-P-C
For example, the Credit nomenclature for the first course in
Mathematics may be identified as 3-1-0-4

11. Pedagogic thoughts following Grinter (President ASEE) Report
A minimum of 36 Credits of Maths and Basic Sciences must be there for
enhancing the capacity for Interdisciplinary Research
COURSE L-T-P-C
Mathematics I 3-1-0-4
Mathematics II 3-1-0-4 12 credits
Mathematics III 3-1-0-4
Physics I 3-1-0-4
Physics II 3-1-0-4 8 credits
Chemistry 3-1-0-4 4 credits
Biology 3-1-0-4 4 credits
Environmental Science 3-1-0-4 4 credits
Lab course (Phy & Chm) 1-0-6-4 4 credits
36 credits

12. Minimum of 12 Credits is recommended as the Compulsory
Engineering Science (ESc (C))courses
Fundamentals of Computing (2-0-4-4)
Introduction to Electronics (2-0-4-4)
Engineering Mechanics (3-1-0-4).
Two courses on Engineering Practices (EP) are needed for acquiring
engineering skills (Engineering Practices/ Design Practices)
Engineering Graphics/ Drawing (2-0-4-4)
Introduction to Manufacturing/ Fabrication/ Design (1-0-6-4).
Prevailing thoughts in many Elite Institutes

13. Courses in Humanities
A minimum of 16 Credits in Humanities, Social Sciences Arts,
Management, Economics and Communication-skills
Among 16 Credits:
(7) Credits are expected to be completed within first four semesters
other (9) Credits are to be completed during the remaining period
of the curriculum
Among first (7) Credits, one course should be on Communication
Skills (2-2-0-4)
Communication is the most important skill one should acquire
One dedicated course is essential for the students to improve their
oral and written communication skills during the first two years of
their training.
Prevailing thoughts in many well known Schools

14. Table-1 (First four semesters)
Type of Courses Credits
Mathematics and Science Courses 36
Communication skills and Humanities 07
Engineering Science (Compulsory) 12
Courses on Engineering Practices 08
Engineering Science (Options) 16
Subjects categorized as the Engineering Science Options (ESc (O)) include 16
credits. Such courses are Thermodynamics, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics,
Transport Phenomena, Quantum Chemistry, Electrical Drives, Geo Sciences,
Materials Science, Data Structure, Analog Electronics, Digital Electronics , Big
Data Analytics etc.
Table-1: Courses appropriate for first four semesters of the B.Tech./ B.E./ BDes
Program.
Prevailing thoughts in many well known Schools

15. ECE BTech
Programme
˃ Analog Electronics
˃ Digital Electronics
˃ Electromagnetics
˃ Digital Image
Processing
Mechanical
Engineering
˃ Thermodynamics
˃ Fluid Mechanics
˃ Solid Mechanics
˃ Electrical Drives
Here are a few examples how Engineering Science Option can be used
by ECE and Mechanical Engineering Department
Prof. Geogre M Whitesides

16. Courses in Humanities, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts
The students are to complete nine (9) credits (3 courses) in Humanities in the final
four semesters. There will be a basket of courses comprising of Advanced
Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Law, Political Science, International Relations,
and various courses pertaining to Liberal Arts. The courses in Liberal Arts may
include Music, Drama, Puppetry, Cinematography etc.
Engineering students are suggested to fulfill the same general education
requirements as all other graduates. Basic Economics may be made compulsory and
may be introduced during the first four semester. The basket should also include
courses in creative writing and foreign languages.
Total number of humanities courses taken by engineering students is expected to be
not fewer than five. More courses (a total of eight courses) are possible if any
engineering student chooses to take a Minor in Humanities and Social Sciences.

17. Three strands —
• memory (less)
• concepts (more)
• problem-solving
(tinkering applications)
— inseparable
Example: In a Mathematics course it should be
told that Fourier Transform, Laplace
Transform would be needed in Fluid
Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Image Processing,
Signal Processing etc.
Courtesy: Prof. Sreerup Raychoudhury
(TIFR)
Syllabus Revision is a Mammoth Task
Curriculum Revision includes Syllabus Revision

18. 1 State of a system, Zero-th law, equation of state
2 Work, heat, First law
3 Internal energy, expansion work
4 Enthalpy
5 Adiabatic changes
6 Thermochemistry
7 Calorimetry
8 Second law
9 Entropy and the Clausius inequality
10 Entropy and irreversibility
11 Fundamental equation, absolute S, Third law
12 Criteria for spontaneous change
13 Gibbs free energy
14 Multicomponent systems, chemical potential
15 Chemical equilibrium
16 Temperature, pressure and Kp
17 Equilibrium: application to drug design
18 Phase equilibria — one component
19 Clausius-Clapeyron equation
20 Phase equilibria — two components
21 Ideal solutions
22 Non-ideal solutions
23 Colligative properties
24 Introduction to statistical mechanics
25 Partition function (q) — large N limit
26 Partition function (Q) — many particles
27 Statistical mechanics and discrete energy levels
28 Model systems
29 Applications: chemical and phase equilibria
30 Introduction to reaction kinetics
31 Complex reactions and mechanisms
32 Steady-state and equilibrium approximations
33 Chain reactions
34 Temperature dependence, Ea, catalysis
35 Enzyme catalysis
36 Autocatalysis and oscillators
An Example of Syllabus Design (MIT): Thermodynamics

19. Table-2
Type of Courses Credits (/Courses)
1. Compulsory Professional Courses 30 or 10 courses
2. Elective (Departmental) Courses 09 or 3 courses
3. Open Electives 15 or 5 courses
4. Departmental Laboratory Courses 08 or 2 courses
5. Humanities and Social Science 09 or 3 courses
6. Baccalaureate Project 10 or 2 courses
Table 2: The curriculum for the remaining four semesters
The final four semesters will have about 25 courses, i.e. equivalent to
81 Credits. The total Credit requirement for the Baccalaureate degree
is about 160. The above mentioned break-up is a sample/ model. The
colleges/ institutes will have enough freedom to add or subtract the
compulsory courses. All professional courses in final four semesters
may have L-T-P-C (3-0-0-3)
Prevailing thoughts in many well known Schools

20. Elective subjects develop the special talents of the individual
students to serve the varied needs of society & to take the
advantage of interdisciplinary developments
Definition of ‘Minor’
 students may be provided with the flexibility to credit a
sequence of three courses in the “open elective slots”
 These three courses could be from a specific department forming
their Minor
 Students should have flexibility for the ‘Minor’ option. One has to
complete open electives
 No special design is needed for any course to offered as ‘Minor’.
Usual open electives are to be floated with thorough rigor
 The students who would be earning ‘Minor’ are supposed be very
well performing students
Prevailing thoughts in many well known Schools

21. For some specific Branches, one/ two of the ESc (C) courses may be shifted to
5th or 6th semester. In lieu of that two professional courses can be moved to 3rd or 4th
semester.
Fundamentals of Computing (2-0-4-4)
Introduction to Electronics (2-0-4-4)
Engineering Mechanics (3-1-0-4).
Similarly, one course from the basket of ‘EP’ can be interchanged with one professional
level course of 6th semester.
Engineering Graphics/ Drawing (2-0-4-4)
Introduction to Manufacturing/ Fabrication/ Design (1-0-6-4).
Prevailing thoughts in many Elite Institutes

22. Phy Chm Core
lab
Math Esc
(C)
Esc
(O)
HSS ENV
&
Bio
EP OE Major Proj
ect
Total
Num
ber
of
cours
es
2 1 1 3 3 4 5 2 2 5 15 2 45
(ESc (C) = Eng Science Compulsory, ESc (O) Eng Science Optional, OE Open Elective)
HSS = Communication skills, Humanities and Social Sciences , EP =Engineering
Practices. ‘Minor’ is a sequence of three open electives from a specific branch.
Table 3. No of suggested courses in different categories
Realizing the importance of exposing engineering students to end to end
solutions, a Project Work required to be introduced

23. Undergraduate Research
The paradigm of Engineering Research is on the verge of third Industrial
Revolution. It is becoming increasingly clear that in the future the
machines and devices will be guided substantially by the principals of life
sciences. Quite a few new subjects have started emerging.
The Bio-inspired interdisciplinary subjects, such as,
Biomimetics, Microfluidics, Microsystems technology,
Bottom-up fabrication, Bioenergetics etc are emerging
fast.
These subjects require being included as the Department Electives or the
Open Electives in all disciplines.
MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program (UROP) is ver well known.

24. Undergraduate Research
The students may be asked to design/ develop/ fabricate, on a laboratory/
pilot plant scale, processes, products, devices, equipment etc for teaching,
research, industry or society at large.
Hon'ble Prime Minister of India suggested the IITs to focus on:
Early Introduction to Research in the Areas of National Need.
Some undergraduate students can be assigned challenging research
projects at an early stage so that they can complete the work by the time
they graduate. As a result some projects may culminate into complete
product.
Examples of such projects:
•Manufacturing Suspension System of a Vehicle to be used in Rough Terrain
•Bio-inspired Micro-aerial Vehicles
•Amplifier Design for Active Piezoelectric MEMS Resonators

25. » Many of our technologies have been commoditized
and are easily available even to non-engineers and
school children.
» We require to develop bridges between disciplines:
Minors, Joint Interdisciplinary Projects
» We need to educate young engineers to work in
teams and teach them crossing disciplinary
barriers through ‘life long learning’
» Young engineers have to be prepared to work at
the intersections of their own disciplines and
electronics, computer science, mathematics, the
life sciences.