One important question to ask and answer is, engineering, science, and technology (EST) for what? Advancement in EST should not be undertaken for its own sake. Human beings are the single most important factor in societies' development. It is important to continue to learn and understand how they feel, think, choose, and function even as they innovate and invent.
It is education in the arts and humanities, not EST that is more likely to support and advance the said learning and understanding. This is why the more thoughtful and attentive are worried when EST is held up to be the elixir for societies' development and growth. As important therefore, as advancement and education in EST is, engineers, scientists, and technologists, like all members of society, must also be educated and trained in the arts and humanities, if the output of their research, is to holistically support, not undermine communal life and living. Some have argued for example that one reason for the still unfolding tragedy in Iraq is the extreme belief within the Bush II Administration, that superior military force alone guarantees success in foreign military adventures which I might add, has not been the lesson of modern human experience. Little attention was paid by that Administration to history, culture, and the hearts and minds of all Iraqis.
Economics and Finance have evolved into disciplines of higher level rigor. There is the assumption that people choose rationally. Uncertainty is mostly assumed to be predictable and manageable. It was hoped that mathematical rigor will so improve measurement that the predictive power of theories will become consummate. Expectations were not meant. Enter behavioral economics and finance. There is increasing realization now that human beings are emotive creatures that are not always driven to choose or not, by rationality and mathematical logic- profit and loss. Muddled think is real. People feel. People like. They dislike too and may choose regardless of the cost and loss of value that is imminent.
Okey Iheduru is right in my opinion to remind us that the mixed brew of a middle course is more often safer and surer than an extreme course.
oa
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Okey Iheduru
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2015 12:35 PM
To: USAAfrica Dialogue; Mobolaji Aluko; Folu Ogundimu
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Attn Bolaji Aluko: Social Sciences Produce Leaders
Note: I refuse to accept that VC Bolaji Aluko, a former chair of an engineering department in a major US university, is unaware that pretty much all engineering educators or accreditation agencies have since jettisoned advocacy for vocational education (otherwise known as STEM). His recent "policy advice" to Pres. M. Buhari is quite disturbing, to put it mildly. In addition to reading the pasted Inside Higher Education article, I'm sure Bolaji will rethink his anachronistic views (as suggested by Folu Ogundimu) if he also reads the British Council Survey and these two sources I've indicated below.
Regards,
Okey
1) "INTEGRATION OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES INTO CIVIL ENGINEERING EDUCATION," by Jeffrey C. Evans, Bucknell University (www.asee.org/.../download).
2.
1. Liberal Education in 21st Century Engineering 
David F. Ollis, Kathryn Angelyn Neeley, Heinz C. Luegenbiehl - 2004 - Education
The ABET requirements, within a limited scope, attempt to assure a minimum ... They recognize that all students need exposure to the humanities and social sciences. Of course, engineering students are required to take more science and ...
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Social Sciences Produce Leaders
June 1, 2015
LONDON -- Politicians and plenty of parents throughout the world regularly urge students to think practically, and to focus on degrees in technology or business. And colleges and universities around the world are being pressured to focus on disciplines outside the liberal arts and sciences.
But a survey being released today suggests that leaders of a range of organizations internationally (including the United States) are most likely to have a degree in the social sciences, with 44 percent of leaders holding such a credential.
And with another 11 percent reporting that they studied the humanities, a solid majority of 55 percent have degrees in traditional liberal arts fields. (And that doesn't count smaller numbers who studied liberal arts majors in the physical and biological sciences.)
The study was conducted by the British Council and is being released here at Going Global, the council's annual international education meeting.
The survey collected information from 1,709 leaders in 30 countries. Leaders were defined as "those who are in a position of influence within their organization and their sectors more broadly." The leaders were from both the public and private sectors.
Non-liberal arts fields with high representation among the leaders included business (14 percent) and engineering (12 percent).
There were some differences among men and women in the survey pool. Men were more likely to have degrees in engineering (17 percent versus 6 percent of the women). Women were more likely to have a humanities degree (17 percent versus 7 percent of men).
Twenty-two percent of those identified as leaders had a professional degree and, of these, 64 percent had an M.B.A.
The substantial representation of social science graduates among leaders in organizations all over the world comes at a time of considerable questioning of the relevance of those disciplines. Florida Governor Rick Scott has questioned whether his state needs any more anthropology graduates. And in the U.S. House of Representatives, a Republican-backed bill would make large cuts in authorization levels for federal spending on the social sciences.
A statement from Rebecca Hughes, director of education at the British Council, said the results of the survey show the potential flaws of assuming everyone should study professionally oriented subjects.
"The world needs leaders who can handle complexity and give diverse perspectives on the challenges we all face," she said. "Globally, we need to go beyond a simple 'two cultures' binary outlook these days and as this research suggests, it is those with backgrounds that enable them to draw from multiple cultural reference points, and the academic training that encourages them to explore the human dimensions behind empirical data, who have tended to succeed and reach positions of leadership."
International Exposure
Another pattern noted in the report on the survey was that many leaders globally have had experience studying or working outside their home country. But this is least likely to be the case for those from the United States, Britain or Canada.
Globally, 46 percent of the leaders surveyed had some international experience. About one-third have international work experience; about one-third have international study experience and 17 percent have both.
Those numbers, however, are very different for the U.S., U.K. and Canada, where 25 percent had some international experience, with 14 percent having studied overseas and 19 percent having worked overseas, and 8 percent having done both.
Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were most likely to have had international experience (71 percent), with 55 percent reporting that they had studied overseas, 48 percent having worked overseas and 32 percent having done both.
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Okey Iheduru,
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