Introduction to Industrial Systems

Author: Lu Daren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Several noteworthy perspectives: Gathering of world-renowned university presidents to discuss the qualities contemporary university students should possess. Consensus reached on three points: moral quality, general knowledge quality, and applied skills. The U.S. industry has criticized certain aspects of American management education curriculum design: insufficient cultivation of students' broad perspectives; lack of interdisciplinary comprehensive courses; excessive emphasis on quantitative and technical analysis; insufficient attention to human management; insufficient attention to communication skills; insufficient attention to external business environments; insufficient attention to business ethics; insufficient attention to the international dimension of business. A renowned American management professor said, "Future management talent will fall into two categories: one is macro-focused, and the other is unemployed." In other words, without a broad knowledge base and working abilities, one may face unemployment. Augustine, former president of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, discussed the stages of engineering and stated that engineering has successively gone through the structural era, mechanical era, power era, information era, and is now entering the era of socio-engineering. The concept of the "holistic engineer" challenges traditional engineering and management disciplines. The concept of the "public intellectual" reflects society's higher expectations for high-end talent. What insights do these perspectives offer us? This book will present reflections on these issues from the perspectives of industrial practice and engineering culture. Addressing the strong trend of the integration of science and technology with the economy and its new requirements for broadening perspectives and enhancing communication among various personnel, this book integrates engineering technology with economic management to comprehensively explore industrial systems. Through introductions to eight major industrial sectors—energy, metallurgy, chemical industry, machinery, automobiles, electronics, light industry, and construction—it extracts fundamental concepts such as systems thinking, structural analysis, socialization, industrial policy, management communication, market development, cultural traditions, and sustainable development in an accessible manner from the production process. This enables readers to form a relatively comprehensive understanding of the entire industrial system, from technical processes to industrial development. As a comprehensive foundational course textbook at Tsinghua University, this book has been in practice for many years and has achieved excellent teaching results in enhancing students' general knowledge quality. It is also suitable for cadre training and continuing education for various personnel to broaden their knowledge, understand related disciplines, and establish a macro perspective. Additionally, it can serve as a popular science reading material for learning about industrial systems.