TWC end of semester review

I recall during the first lesson of twc, prof asked us what we thought this course was about. I believe many of us actually thought twc would be about different case studies on technology and how that particular technology has changed the world. However, I believe most of us would have realized that this course is actually aimed to equip us with the concepts, analytical skills and mind-sets so that we can critically analyse, predict and understand how technology will/can/have affect the world in general. I am sure many of us have noticed that the set of words below are always present in every set of slides that prof puts up.

To help equip you with:

•          a conceptual framework for intelligently considering the potential economic, social and commercial impact and significance of technology innovation;

•          a solid foundation for considering issues of development, technology policy, change management, and the management of technology.

The course has taught me a myriad of things, and I will be reviewing some of the more important concepts and skills I have grasped over the semester.

The hunger

Countries that are complacent and believe they already know all that there is to know will ultimately lose out and fail eventually. They are contented with what they already possess and are very resistant to change. This is the falling star mind-set, and many large civilizations have lost their competitive edge due to such complacency and lack of hunger for success. I recall prof mentioning how China was initially a very advanced kingdom but eventually got caught up and overtaken by other nations due to their resistance to change. It is important that we maintain a rising star mind-set, one that is open to new ideas and have the hunger to constantly improve ourselves. This mind-set is key to success as it will encourage greater innovation to improve ourselves, which will ultimately lead to great success.

Yali’s question

In the book Guns, Germs and steel, Yali asked this question
"why you white people build up so much cargo and takes it to New Guinea, but we black people has a little own cargo".
This question requires the understanding of why is there so much inequality between developed and less developed countries. Throughout the course of the semester, we have discussed many possible reasons for this inequality. Such could include the rising/falling star mind-sets as mentioned above, colonisation by the British or the geographical location of nations.

Going beyond Yali’s question

Prof mentioned that we should go beyond Yali’s question and ask ourselves how we could help solve this inequality. As such, throughout our course of study we did learn about how many different technologies could help close up this inequality gap. Such could include how ICT could provide access to the internet to these less developed societies to provide them the information needed to progress or how we should progress in a sustainable manner so as to not jeopardize the future for these less-developed nations.

Sustainability

In my opinion, I thought that the need to be sustainable in my progress is also one of the key lessons that TWC has taught me. Sustainable progress is progress that does not compromise the environment for future generations. This is imperative as at the rate the developed nations such as the United States or Singapore is consuming, the resources would be used up very quickly. We need to achieve a cyclical process of development is vital so that we can recycle and reuse the resources we use. Technologies such as the toilet that can generate electricity through the waste we produce or solar panels are all good examples of technology that can allow us to progress sustainably.

To conclude, this twc course has greatly broadened my perspectives and knowledge over the short course of 3 months. The specific case studies might not be relevant in years to come, but I believe the skills and concepts I have acquired will definitely be useful and relevant in my endeavours in life in the future. Thank you prof and classmates for everything and good luck for our final examinations!