9634355 Kumara This award provides funding for the "First Workshop on Real-World Problem Solving and Decision Making in Design and Manufacturing," to be held at the University of Tokyo, Japan during June 1996. Academicians, industry researchers and practitioners from USA and Japan will interact and use their collective experiences to: (1) compile, organize, and identify key real-world problems in design and manufacturing, (2) list potential real-world cases in design and manufacturing for investigation and presentation, (3) formulate a framework for discussion on how real-world problem solving is conducted in industry and how it should be taught in universities and industry, and (4) design an implementation architecture for using the World Wide Web as a means of developing the cases and using them in a global classroom setting. If successful, the results of this activity will benefit undergraduate education in engineering and manufacturing companies. The key issues in design and manufacturing identified in this workshop will pave the way for developing a compendium of cases and form the basis for teaching real-world engineering design skills to undergraduate students. The implementation architecture for using the World Wide Web will aim toward defining and implementing the concept of a global classroom. The workshop will bring together academicians and industry personnel from the U.S. and Japan who will collectively help to compile and disseminate information and expertise on real-world engineering design skills required in the current environment of global manufacturing.
