Memo+15


 * Contributions**

This study will based on data from three sources: historical documents, ethnographic interviews, and participant observations. Study of historical documents include documents on college funding, labor market statistics, educational policy, curriculum reform. Ethnographic interviews will be done with parents, students, educators, and industrial employers and engineers. The data will also be collected from participation observation in students contests sponsored by business/industry, lectures given by industrial leaders, meeting for employment, etc. The study tries to combine a vertical (historical) and horizontal (cross-national) approach of analysis.
 * Methodological**

Focusing on the higher education of engineering in Chinese and US colleges, this study will contribute to the document of diverse interactions through which business/industry exert influences on the engineering education. On one hand, I will examine the interaction with colleges through donation, funding award, corporation-university collaboration, etc. One the other hand, I will also investigate the direct interaction with students through visit invitation, internship, organizing contests, lecture, and employment, etc. The study also aims to report different attitudes toward engineering education from various groups, including employers, faculty, parents, outer society, with especial attention to the change of students' expectation and self-evaluation of their education experiences. Besides, this study will record the historical data of social/political change and its influences on the governance of engineering education in China and the US for comparison.
 * Empirical**

This study will articulate and contrast people's views on education as an instrument for life goals versus as an end of life. The study will analyze what factors in industry, business, or in different political and cultural context participate in shaping the objective and practice of higher education for engineering student. The study will also assess the influence of this shaping to the personal development (expertise, cognition, self-identity, occupational objective) of students. The study will draw on and contribute to the scholarly literatures in Comparative Education, Engineering Education and Social and Developmental Psychology theories in the shaping of human motivation and personality. I argue that a special approach to detect/unmask the constructed thoughts of the students would be to look at their discordance with the institution.
 * Conceptual/Theoretical**

Results of this study can provide suggestions to educational institutions and the governments on the reform of practice and governance of engineering education. It can also provide insights to the student when choosing a major.
 * Practical**