Equipping construction and related engineering students for the market needs in mainland China

Abstract

Thanks to a strong internal demand, the economy of mainland China has been increasing sharply during the last decade. It is generally expected that the economic growth in China will persist in the foreseeable future. The economic development of China has given rise to an immense demand for infrastructure and construction facilities. While a number of these projects are complex and large in scale, construction and related engineering professionals who have experience on projects of these kinds should have a good opportunity to provide their services in China. To help promote exporting the services of construction and related engineering professionals, the tertiary education sector and professional institutions have a crucial role to play to equip their students. However, many construction and related engineering programs are tailored for the local markets. Broadening the international exposure of students should become the future direction of construction and related engineering programs. In this paper, the results of a survey conducted with students and professionals in Hong Kong are highlighted. The teaching and learning activities having been built into the construction and related engineering programs are identified. Finally, recommendations for improving the construction and related engineering program structure conclude the paper.