Grand Challenges in Systems Engineering Education

Many of today’s global Grand Challenges can be traced back, at least partially, to deficiencies in the education system. While systems engineering education has the potential to radically change the ways that people approach problem-solving, a number of challenges stand in the way. These challenges involve both research needs related to methodology development and understanding the problem, as well as a practical perspective regarding implementation at different levels, including K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education. Through a series of workshops organized by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) that brought together distinguished systems engineering researchers and professionals from across the United States, this paper documents the identification and synthesis of research gaps in the area of systems engineering education. These include research needs related to socio-technical system modeling, measuring outcomes, and interpersonal skills. From these gaps, relevant stakeholders and preliminary research threads are identified, and a road map is put forward for future research to address these Grand Challenges.