Nanotechnology and Education: Can We Better Prepare Our Students for the Future?

  Janet Staker Woerner, Fellow
  Center on Nanotechnology and Society

In times of change, learners inherit the earth . . . while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
-- Eric Hofer

At the 2005 NanoCommerce & SEMI NanoForum (November 1-3 in Chicago), distinguished scientists, technologists, and representatives from the business community gathered to share and explore visions and breakthroughs in nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. Yet, in the midst of all these "nano-news" developments, a broader, more influential phenomenon was discussed only peripherally.

According to a report issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2002, the real importance of nanotechnology is its central role in what is often referred to as the NBIC (Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno) convergence. Understanding matter at the nano level, after all, is fundamental not only to nanotechnology, but also to biotech, (for instance, healthcare), infotech (computing and communication technology), and cognotech (brain sciences). As these sciences converge, it is the synergies between them that promise to deliver major advances in healthcare, engineering, human physical capabilities, and the study of nature and technologies, including their place in society. If we carefully review the four disciplines of NBIC, we see that none of them stands alone; each is interdependent and overlaps onto the others. And even as their tools and methods have advanced to uncover ever-smaller particles of matter, in order to solve complex problems, scientists increasingly realize they must look at the integration of all relevant parts, and how they function as a complex system.

The question at hand is: Are we educating our youth to think and operate in this integrated, multi-disciplinary way? Traditionally our education system has provided a structure to move students toward a specialized degree at the university level and then on to even greater specialization in graduate and post-doctoral programs. And while every science has (and relies on) its so-called "domain experts," the problem is that they often operate in silos, or take a limited, linear approach to their thinking.

If we agree that a more cross-functional approach is needed to educate the scientists and leaders of tomorrow, how do we achieve it - and what specifically should it look like? Given the convergence already underway, and the rise of China, India and other emerging economies, can we remain competitive with our current education system? Education experts have recommended that we teach teamwork, promote learning on-demand, develop cross-disciplinary curricula, and provide the critical thinking skills for social responsibility. These efforts, they say, would draw on a wider range of disciplines to give our students a broader perspective on emerging technologies.

Ensuring that scientists have a strong sense of social responsibility is becoming especially urgent as advances in technology come at ever-shorter intervals. For example, the idea of "eco-efficiency"- doing more with less - is more crucial than ever, but how do we instill this notion in the next generation? As Henry Ford stated in 1926, we need to obtain the most out of power, time and material. We used to think that resources were inexhaustible, but increasingly we find that there are limits.

We also need to teach our scientists to communicate more clearly, and to collaborate more seamlessly, with non-scientists. More and more scientists will not only work in labs but also will need the skills to interact with the public and with leaders from the worlds of business, law, and politics. I would suggest that we need to reengineer many of our educational programs to support this new model of educating scientists.

One such initiative is already under way at Illinois Institute of Technology, where the Interprofessional Project Program (IPRO) program provides a forum in which students from many different disciplines come together and look at a real-world problem as a team. In addition to teaching interprofessional teamwork, the current (Fall 2005-Spring 2006) IPRO seeks to make aspiring scientists more aware of the public's views and attitudes toward emerging technologies. One early finding: While much of the public does not understand these technologies, more people than ever are exploring them (thanks largely to web sites, blogs, etc.), and are forming their own views, sometimes in a manner that is very much independent of what scientific experts say.

Janet Staker Woerner is Adjunct Faculty for Illinois Institute of Technology, teaching Emerging Technologies and Society, and is a Fellow of the Center on Nanotechnology and Society.