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Preparing for a future based on cross-disciplinary technologies
“Industry always demands lower production costs and their customers always desire cheaper goods,” says Professor Chen Xi, Dean of Lingnan University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS). In the past, he says, it has been possible to placate both the supply and the demand sides of the economy through minor improvements in the skill levels of managers and workers, and incremental refinements in the production process. But now the rapid evolution of cross-disciplinary technologies, in particular combinations involving AI and machine-learning, promise revolutionary improvements in productivity. “But we are not just committed to higher-quality and cheaper products, we always need to bear in mind that our development must be sustainable,” Prof Chen notes.
He sees the use of cross-disciplinary technologies having a particularly transformative effect in three areas: in the generation and use of energy, whether that is clean energy or energy derived from fossil fuels; in the exploitation of the our increasing connectivity to enable, for example, remote medical procedures, the reduction of traffic problems and the growth of e-commerce, and; in the production and sale of consumer goods.
As these changes will impact both the emerging and the traditional sectors of the economy they will, therefore, have a dramatic effect on career planning. In the future, Prof Chen expects the leaders of successful enterprises to have developed knowledge and skills in two or more core disciplines.
Lingnan’s leadership in interdisciplinary studies
Under Professor Chen Xi’s leadership, the SIS has designed the Master of Science in Cross-disciplinary Technologies+ (MScCT+) programme to train graduates capable of thriving in this new environment.
The SIS’s research has identified that the key fields in which new knowledge and skills will be needed are: artificial intelligence, computer programming, advanced manufacturing, e-commerce and international e-business, new media and management, energy management, finance and accounting, and enterprise management and innovation.
Along with its own expert faculty, the SIS is recruiting specialist talent from across the globe to teach on the MScCT+. Since many students have expressed their interest in the use of cross-disciplinary technology in business - to achieve sustainability goals, for example – interaction with local enterprises is a core feature of the programme.
“Lingnan is positioning itself as the future leader in interdisciplinary studies,” Prof Chen says. The university’s commitment to securing this role is underlined by its establishment of the Shenzhen Research Institute, a centre focused on fostering the ability of students’ to apply their inventiveness to creating real products capable of taking advantage of the supply chain efficiencies, and the much bigger market markets, in the Greater Bay Area and the rest of Mainland China.
MScCT+ programme structure
The programme’s curriculum is built up of three main elements. Six core courses will provide students with the types of essential technical and leadership skills most sought after by employers. While the range of electives - which includes the Material, Processing Technology and Equipment, and the Conventional Energy and Renewable Energy, courses - focus on problem-solving and business operation skills. Finally, students have the option to either pursue one of eight concentrations – such as in Carbon Neutralisation and Sustainability or Business and Finance Management - or choose their own combination of electives for a broader education in the cross-disciplinary field.
Two other required courses provide differing opportunities for experiential learning. The Master of Technology Field Trip has a hardware focus and involves visits to factories, following which students will work in groups to solve real problems in production processes. While the Master of Technology Capstone Project is not linked to any particular enterprise but will require the students to come up with new products which they will then attempt to market to businesses.
Opening up new career paths and enhancing existing ones
The development of cross-disciplinary technologies will undoubtedly create new areas of economic activity and radically transform many existing ones.
However, the MScCT+ programme will also provide students who are on track for careers in more conventional industries with a broader knowledge base. In the technology sector, Prof Chen cites the example of a project manager in a clean energy enterprise needing to know the pros and cons of using clean energy in specific circumstances, and having the understanding to decide whether conventional energy might then be able to provide a greener solution.
While in the finance industry, the knowledge and skills gained on this masters programme is likely to be invaluable when, for example, it comes to making investment choices around new technology. “Today, investors and e-business managers need to know the fundamentals of supply chain management, e-finance, and internet marketing, as well as data analysis,” Prof Chen explains. “And they probably need the assistance of AI to help them make decisions.”
In addition, cross-disciplinary technologies have the capacity to inspire and enhance the work of those engaged in the creative industries. Prof Chen points out that the ability of generative AI systems to create high-quality visual art and videos initially took many people by surprise.
“On the other hand it is also critical for us to teach our students that cannot simply rely on [,say ,] ChatGPT or Sora to do their homework,” he cautions, adding that the effectiveness of AI systems is dependent of the quality of the training they receive from human specialists.