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The Importance of Soft Skills in Engineering and Engineering Education

  • Book
  • © 2022

Overview

Authors:
  1. Edoardo Rovida

    1. Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

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  2. Giulio Zafferri

    1. Officina della Conoscenza, Milan, Italy

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  • Offers a new approach to the role of soft skills in engineering education and the profession of engineering
  • Focuses on soft skills in the context of Engineering 4.0
  • Assists in enhancing personal soft skills and performance

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xx
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 1-10

  3. Communication

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 11-35

  4. Courtesy

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 37-42

  5. Flexibility

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 43-52

  6. Ethics and Integrity

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 53-72

  7. Relation with Others

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 73-99

  8. Relation with Himself

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 101-118

  9. Imagination and Creativity

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 119-148

  10. Human Aspects of Technology

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 149-159

  11. Talent Development

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 161-180

  12. Proposal

    • Edoardo Rovida, Giulio Zafferri
    Pages 181-185
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Keywords

About this book

This book explores in depth the significance of soft skills within engineering education and the profession of engineering and emphasizes the importance of integrating hard and soft skills effectively, thereby enhancing personal acumen. Among the most important soft skills are ability to communicate, courtesy, creativity, empaty, flexibility, integrity, positivity, problem solving, professionalism, resourcefulness, responsibility, a strong work ethic, and ability to work within a team.  While hard skills are related to the left side of the brain and are linked to the intelligence quotient (IQ), soft skills are related to the right side of the brain and are linked to the emotional quotient (EQ). A person who fuses hard and soft skills successfully will be able to upgrade their professional behavior and become a difference maker (DM). Soft skills are of central importance in the context of Engineering 4.0, the new phase of engineering, and in Engineering 4.0 education, and this is the central focus of the book. The presented examples of the role of soft skills will also enable readers to self-evaluate, to identify those skills that require improvement, and ultimately to enhance their performance.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Edoardo Rovida

  • Officina della Conoscenza, Milan, Italy

    Giulio Zafferri

About the authors

Edoardo Rovida was born in Milan in 1941 and graduated in Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, in 1966. He is  Full Professor of Design Methods and Technical Communication and worked in the Department of Mechanics at the same Politecnico di Milano. His scientific interests include design science (product development using methods  as TRIZ, CREAX, Biomimetic¬¬ and product lifecycle management, using methods as Design for X and LCA), communication and soft skills in engineering (with reference to the industrial product, as instructions for use and maintenance, and to the Engineering Education), and the history of technology (criteria to manage collections of historical products, to be critically analyzed as possible source of innovative ideas useful in the  modern design.
He was member, for many years, of the Advisory Board  of ICED (International Conference on Engineering Design), of TMCE (Tools and Methods of Competitive Engineering)and of UNI (Italian Standard Institution).
 
Giulio Zafferri was born in Reggio Emilia (Italy) in 1940.  Graduated at:  Istituto Tecnico Carlo Cattaneo and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, in Economics; in Marketing and Communication at M.C.E (Management Center Europe, Bruxelles); at IMEDE (Institut pour l’Etude des Methodes de Direction de l’Entreprise (today IMD), International Management Development in Lausanne) of which is actually Alumnus, followed Master in Management Development.  He worked as Managing Director in several national and international companies (POLISTIL Spa, MILTON BRADLEY Srl, POZZOLI Spa, AMBROMARK Srl).  Became Senior Business Consultant with CEGOS Italy (Centre d’Etudes Gestionaires et Organization Societaire) and Senior Associate Consultant with MY LEARNING BOUTIQUE (MLB)  Lausanne. He is the Founder of MASTERING MANAGEMENT  Consultant,  EXECO Consulting  and OFFICINA DELLA CONOSCENZA Consulting in Milano.   Professor of Applied Psycology at Cardinal Colombo University (UTE) Milano.  Member of APCO (Associazione Professionale Italiana Consulenti di Organizzazione) and certified C.M.C. (Certified Management Consultant).  He is also member of MSI (Marketing Science Institute, Academic Community-USA); Vice-President of BIOAGRICOOP, Bologna,  partner of B Corporation (Sustainability); President of ORGANICITY Consortium of Companies-Bologna, selected to promote the nutritional concept of the Organic Mediterranean Diet  (Food), Heritage of UNESCO. 



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