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.
"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!