Engineering research centers $($ERCs$)$ were first established in this country in the middle of the $1980$ s with the direct intention of fostering improved Research and Development collaboration between universities, industry, and the government. Unlike similar engineering research initiatives that preceded ERCs, they were introduced with a broad remit; their focus was on changing the conduct of academic engineering research and education as well as pre$-$competitive generic research. The key focus was on innovation in next$-$generation technology advances at the intersection of disciplines. It was recognized that universities were often the only places that had sufficient engineering knowledge to be able to deliver the level of research that was required to support such objectives. The results of the research were intended to be useful to the industry but with a longer$-$term view than other research. Another direct outcome of the ERCs was that university graduates would, in theory, be better prepared to commence work in an engineering environment.

As time went on the next generation of ERCs went one step further and encouraged collaboration across universities and had a direct focus on the younger generation of students with a leaning towards engineering $-$ not just those who were already studying at the universities in question. The third generation of ERCs was implemented in $2008$ and was created to cope with an increasingly global economy and also a reduction in student interest in sciences and engineering.

Question $8$

ERCs have failed to recognise that universities could work more collaboratively with one another.

True

False

Cannot Tell

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