The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in the USA has identified 14 Grand Challenges, which engineers need to address in the 21st century, in order for humankind to flourish and progress into the next century. These Grand Challenges cover the areas of energy and environment, health, security and education.

ENGINEERING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

NAE GRAND CHALLENGES
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
TAYLOR’S INNOFEST
PROJECTS
NAE GRAND CHALLENGE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME

Energy And Environment

Energy And Environment

  • Make Solar Energy Economical
    Solar energy provides less than 1% of the world’s total energy, but it has the potential to provide much more. Solar energy presents an attractive alternative for a long-term sustainable energy source.

 

  • Provide Energy From Fusion
    Human-engineered fusion has been demonstrated on a small scale, e.g. the use of lithium in our laptop batteries. The challenge is to scale-up the process to commercial proportions in an efficient, economical and sustainable way.

 

  • Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods
    The growth in emissions of carbon dioxide is a prime contributor to global warming. Engineers are now working on ways to capture and store excess carbon dioxide to prevent global warming.
  • Manage The Nitrogen Cycle
    Human-induced challenges in the global nitrogen cycle pose threats to the environment. With better fertilisation technologies and by capturing and recycling waste, engineers can help restore balance to the nitrogen cycle.

 

  • Provide Access to Clean Water
    In many parts of the world, there is a critical shortage of water for drinking and other uses. Affordable, advanced technologies could make a difference for millions who face shortage of access to clean water.
Health

Health

  • Advance Health Informatics
    Stronger health information systems can not only improve everyday medical visits, but they are also essential to counter pandemics and biological or chemical attacks.
 
  • Engineer Better Medicines
    Engineers today are working on developing new systems to use genetic information, sense small 12 changes in the body, assess new drugs and deliver vaccines that meet the unique needs of an individual patient – enabling doctors to improve the quality of treatment.
Security

Security

  • Prevent Nuclear Terror
    As nuclear technologies and nuclear weapons continue to develop, there is a growing need for technologies to prevent and respond to potential nuclear attacks or disasters.
 
  • Secure Cyberspace
    Today, both personal privacy and national security depend on protecting the cyberspace from threats. Despite serious breaches of cyber security occurring in the past, research and development for security systems continues to lag behind.
  • Restore And Improve Urban Infrastructure
    Engineers must face the formidable challenge of modernising the fundamental infrastructures that support civilisation (from water and sewer systems to road and rail networks, to national power and natural gas grids) and create more sustainable urban environments.
Education

Education

  • Reverse-engineer The Brain
    Discovering the secrets of how living brains work may offer the best guide to engineering artificial intelligence (AI) on a larger scale. Reverse-engineering the brain promises great advances in healthcare, manufacturing and communication.
 
  • Enhance Virtual Reality
    Virtual reality is becoming a powerful new tool in many specialised fields, including psychiatry, education, entertainment, healthcare, and manufacturing. True virtual reality creates the illusion of actually being in a different space, and can be used for training, treatment and communication.
  • Advance Personalised Learning
    Teaching has traditionally followed the one-size-fits-all approach, but with the growing appreciation of more “personalised learning”, there is a need for instruction to be customised based on learning styles, speeds and interests to match the student.
 
  • Engineer The Tools Of Scientific Discovery
    In the century ahead, engineers and scientists will continue to work hand-in-hand in the great quest for understanding many unanswered questions in areas like biological research, human civilisation and quantum physics.

Students are given the opportunity to participate in various national and international competitions, which challenge them to apply their knowledge, obtain feedback from experts, demonstrate teamwork, boost their confidence and sharpen their practical skills.

 

Students also attend and observe other competitions in preparation for their own real-world scenarios. This gives them a platform to learn more about latest industry developments, compare best practices and witness the application of engineering work across different industries and scenarios.

  • Fly Your Ideas with Airbus 2013, Toulouse, France
  • Super Taikyu Series 2013, Sportsland Sugo, Japan
  • Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE)
  • Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2011, Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
  • 6th Hong Kong Underwater Robot Challenge 2011, City University, Hong Kong
  • Taylor’s Business Plan Competition 2012, Taylor’s University, Malaysia
  • Annual Formula Varsity Club Prix Circuit
  • Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition
  • Formula SAE Race 2011, Melbourne, Australia

Recognised as the first School to be admitted into the CDIO initiative pioneered by MIT and the first outside of USA tro be admitted into the Grand Challenge Scholar Programme hosted by the National Academy of Engineers in the US and being a pioneer in Project Based Learning.

 

Every semester, School of Computer Science and School of Engineering organises an Engineering Fair that showcases the students’ work to the campus community, industry members and visiting academicians. This is an avenue for students to demonstrate their technical skills and knowledge, and increase their exposure to aspects of marketing, event organisation and project management. Some of the projects done by our students are showcased below.

 

The projects showcased by students are judged and evaluated by expert panels from the industry and academia. 

  • Application of Natural Fibres in Acoustic Panel
    This project explored the opportunities to commercialise natural products such as coir, corn, oil palm fibres and their wastes, for general use. These products are found to be good sound absorbers at certain frequency bands.  
  • Quadrocopter
    This project aimed to design a cost efficient, aerodynamically and mechanically designed, 4-rotor helicopter to counter the disadvantages of the helicopter. The quadrocopter was installed with autopilot and long-range camera for navigation and rescuing operations.

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) is a combined curricular and extra-curricular programme with five components that are designed to prepare students to be the generation that solves the grand challenges facing society in this century.

 

The Grand Challenges are a call-to-action and serve as a focal point for society’s attention to opportunities and challenges affecting our quality of life.

 

Taylor's School of Computer Science and Engineering is the first Malaysian University outside North America that is registered with GCSP. For more details on GCSP, visit http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/GrandChallengeScholarsProgram.aspx

 

From 2017 to 2021, the School of Computer Science and Engineering awarded a total of 20 students with the Grand Challenges Scholar Award, signed and endorsed by the National Academy of Engineers (NAE, USA).​

 

From August 2021 intake, all students who successfully complete the Engineering curriculum at Taylor’s University will be awarded with the Grand Challenges Scholar Award, signed and endorsed by the National Academy of Engineers (NAE, USA).

WHY STUDY ENGINEERING AT TAYLOR'S