Assignment 8 (Employment in a globalized world)

Employment in a Globalized World

2). Computing as a viable field of employment is not anything to be concerned
about. The industry in the US alone has grown over the past decade,
despite the noise about offshoring. The world-wide demand for the IT
services, products, and personel is only going to increase in the mid-term,
thanks to exploding demand world-wide, especially in developing economies.

3). I most strongly agree with the economics of offshoring from the
"competitive advantage" argument. The markets decide, effectively, where the
most efficient production should take place, and in the case of IT (as it
was for ship-building), the overall results are bound to be positive on a
macro-economic scale.

There is a danger in assuming (even based on past experiences) that the
locus for invention will not shift from the US. The very same arguments
about the entrenchment (e.g. strong research institutions, highly efficient
capital markets, and business-friendly immigration laws), are beginning to
take root in China. Let us not forget that not too long ago, England was the
dominant source of technological innovations and economic power.

4). The field of computer science, is in danger of becoming a trade school
(particularly at the undergraduate level) if attention is not paid to a
curriculum that embraces the application of IT to a changing world.
One way might be for the department to include managerial and business
courses that would attract the type of students who will fare better in this
global economy.

Last modified 24 October 2007 at 1:21 am by nwanua