In the rapidly evolving world of the Internet, a change in the educational approach of networking and communications professionals is essential. Change in this regard continues to be desirable in order to keep pace with rapid technological advances. Dr. Tarek El Bawab, who came to Jackson State University from the telecommunications industry in 2005, recognized the need for these changes and found himself at the forefront of a transformative movement paving the way for change. Ta. His insights and tireless efforts helped reimagine a new vision of how telecommunications engineering should be taught in academia, whether in the United States or other countries. Since joining Jackson State University, Tarek El Bawab has led the electrical He left an indelible mark on communications engineering education. He has played a key role in initiating and sustaining efforts to align education in this field with the evolving needs of a rapidly growing industry.
Dr. El-Bawab’s experience in Jackson State University’s telecommunications program, which was offered at the time, helped him understand the actual demands of the industry and what academia was offering in a way dominated by electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computers. I was able to understand the gap between From a scientific or even IT perspective. He believed that the telecommunications sector had outgrown these isolated and inadequate frameworks and that academia needed to catch up with innovative interdisciplinary approaches.
At that time, and since then, the United States has undergone far-reaching changes in its approach to STEM education. This transformation includes at least three trends. The emergence of new interdisciplinary majors, the promotion of more effective pedagogies to improve learning and attract America’s youth to STEM education, and the encouragement of participation by minorities in the United States, especially in STEM education. The timing and placement couldn’t have been better for Tarek El Bawab, who just committed to Jackson State. The university he joined as a professor had a telecommunications engineering program, which he viewed as interdisciplinary, and he subsequently received federal funding to develop new pedagogies for courses in that program. We were able to obtain funding. And last but not least – the university is designated to serve minority students. His efforts in distance learning and the resulting movement resonated well with the transformation higher education was undergoing. The opportunity to serve underserved students also promised a professionally rewarding experience. However, this program was essentially traditional electrical engineering, with very little communication elements.
Tarek El Bawab defended the case for professional telecommunications engineering education. He laid the foundation for this effort, publishing several articles highlighting the increasingly complex nature of modern telecommunications systems and making a strong case for educational change. These articles were well received by the telecommunications community and promoted the Telecommunications Engineering Education (TEE) movement. Tarek delves deeper into the structural issues in the US higher education system regarding telecommunications education, focusing on the history of education in this field and the industry-based training programs that were ideal in the pre-1984 era. shed light on how it developed. Collapse of the Bell System. However, this training system has since ceased to exist. As a result, the task of training the next generation of telecommunications engineers fell on universities, but they were largely unprepared to fill the void with solid curriculum proposals.
Tarek called on leaders from industry and academia to join the movement. The TEE group was formed within the Communications Institute of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The formation of that group helped establish a telecommunications-specific provision in ABET’s “Electrical, Computer, Telecommunications, Telecommunications and similarly named engineering programs.” ” certification standards. ABET, Inc. is an engineering and technology accrediting board that accredits programs in these fields in approximately 45 countries around the world, including the United States.
Today, telecommunications engineering blends elements from engineering, science, and several other disciplines, including electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, data science and analytics, artificial intelligence, standards and regulatory policy, etc. It has evolved like this. . While still a professor at Jackson State University, Tarek El Bawab began a project with Springer Nature, the “Telecommunications Engineering Textbook Series” to create books covering numerous topics in modern telecommunications. ” was launched. This effort continues today, and the series has become a global home for dozens of high-quality books in the new field, helping professors and industry trainers design courses, curricula, and programs in telecommunications and network engineering. It’s easier now.
One of the outcomes of the TEE movement was the resurgence of the field of telecommunications engineering based on advances in network science, which led to the establishment of the term “network engineering.” Today, the terms “network engineering” and “telecommunications engineering” are sometimes used interchangeably, reflecting the increasing role of networks in modern telecommunications in the Internet era. This evolution is largely due to Tarek El Bawab.
Dr. El-Bawab left Jackson State University in 2019, but the research inspired by his experiences at the institution continues to this day. He served as Dean of Engineering at an African university for about four years. As a U.S. expat, he also had the opportunity to become the founding Dean of Engineering at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, where he continues to serve underserved populations. He put together the first program of its kind in telecommunications and network engineering at this institution.
Tarek El Bawab’s legacy extends far beyond academia and is proof that a visionary leader can have a major impact in shaping the future of engineering and technology education. This initiative paves the way for future telecommunications and network engineers to thrive in an increasingly complex field, creating stronger and better-prepared professionals to serve the public in this field of engineering and technology. contributed to the.
