NANOFORUM EDUCATION CATALOGUE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN NANOTECHNOLOGY
18 February 2005 - Nanoforum

Nanotechnology is, by its nature, multidisciplinary, while the existing tertiary education system tends to compartmentalize by disciplines for example physics, chemistry, engineering or biology. As a result, many scientists are finding that they have gaps in their education. As organic materials from polymers to molecular electronics begin to have an impact on the semiconductor industry, companies such as Intel and ST Microelectronics are finding an increasing need for chemists and materials scientists.

Similarly, the integration of sensors and other functions with materials such as textiles is requiring polymer chemists to work with electrical engineers, and the education system is beginning to adapt to this.

A further driver for Nanotechnology courses is the declining numbers of students willing to study the hard sciences such as physics and chemistry. The combinations of low student numbers with the high cost of equipping science laboratories has already led to the closure of many chemistry departments in the United Kingdom. Courses addressing the perceived needs of future labour markets, from tourism to nanotechnology have become increasingly popular with students, while those attracting higher numbers of applicants are similarly popular with university administrators.

There is, however, some need for caution. A distinction should be made between first (bachelors) and postgraduate degrees in nanotechnology. While it is admirable to attempt to produce a kind of renaissance scientist, i.e. a master of many disciplines, it is still unknown whether a three of four year taught course at the first degree level will allow students to gain the required level of expertise in any discipline to be useful to future employers, or even in an academic career.

There is currently some debate among academics as to whether it would be better to have a sound understanding of one area of science first and then broaden this to include other disciplines.

This is not the case with postgraduate courses. Many of the postgraduate degrees are specifically designed to give scientists and engineers the multidisciplinary skills required to get to grips with nanoscience and nanotechnologies. Some courses go further, and add elements of entrepreneurship or business skills, as business literate nanotechnologists are currently rare and consequently much in demand by employers.

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