Engineers have different expertise, from IT to mechanics and chemistry, and they are everywhere: from multinationals to technological start-ups. If we cannot put the 60,000 engineers of Quebec in the same basket, Maud Cohen, general manager of Polytechnique Montreal, and Ghyslain Gagnon, dean of research at the École de technologie supérieure, evoke certain points that unite them.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
love math and science
“It is certain that you have to like science and mathematics to be an engineer, because otherwise, you cannot pass through the training course, affirms Maud Cohen. But we no longer only have profiles of very Cartesian people, as was the case before. More and more, we see fragmented profiles, people with very different interests. We also have 12 bachelor’s degrees at Polytechnique that lead to the engineering profession and we are discussing the development of others. Engineering schools must be connected to what is happening in society. And more than ever, there are opportunities to have an impact by addressing complex issues, especially in all that relates to sustainable development. »
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Maud Cohen, CEO of Polytechnique Montreal
Find solutions
“In general, engineers have an ability to solve problems,” says Maud Cohen. They are curious, they manage to see a situation as a whole, to make connections between different elements. We also try to ensure that our students learn how to learn. This is what is important, because later, in their practice, our graduates will apply few things exactly as they will have learned them in the courses. But they will be able to find solutions taking into account the context. This is something that requires a lot of creativity. »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Ghyslain Gagnon, dean of research at the École de technologie supérieure
Work collaboratively
Engineers like to solve problems. However, the simple problems have already been solved, maintains Ghyslain Gagnon. “And to tackle complex issues, to make great discoveries, you have to work in multidisciplinary teams,” he says. There are always different angles to consider. Technical, of course, but also human, social, etc. Engineers have to work with people from other disciplines and that’s why we require our students to do three internships in workplaces where they have to work with all kinds of people who have different skills and interests. »
Go off the beaten track
To find solutions to complex problems, you also have to think outside the box. Collaborating with very different people can really help to get there. “My team and I have seen this in particular by working with artists, indicates Ghyslain Gagnon. Often, the engineer works with estimates and he must arrive at a very precise result. But with artists, the whole process of creation is important and it is possible that the end result will not be at all what we had imagined at the beginning, and that is correct. I find that we often lose sight of that in engineering, and that takes away our opportunities to innovate. We have to regain this freedom to explore. Especially when you look at the magnitude of the issues that we must tackle now, in particular to create a circular economy. »