Switzerland in Asia

I read an article titled "Switzerland in Asia" today. It positively describes Singapore as the Switzerland in Asia. No surprise. Switzerland has long been the role model for Singapore, it is the goal this country has been trying hard to achieve.

But, is it good news for me? To a large extent, yes, it is. A clean environment, literally and with implications, convenient transport systems, safe streets, higher income. All these are good points. However, Switzerland is still a FINANCIAL centre of the world, not an engineering nor a manufacturing centre of the world. You are more likely to bump into a banker than an engineer in the streets of Switzerland.

In Singapore, with the recent emphasis on finance, tourism and hospitality industries, engineering is on a downhill path. Young people don't have interest nor the patience to go into the field of engineering. Rumour has it that intake for engineering has declined so much that a major Singapore higher education provider is going to reduce the number of teaching staff of their electrical engineering school by 40%!

Many practising engineers have changed or plan to change their career to something more fulfilling. This coupled with the fact that fewer young students want to take up engineering as their major in universities, it may force engineering companies, local or MNC, to look else.