NewStats: 3,259,398 , 8,170,001 topics. Date: Saturday, 24 May 2025 at 09:07 PM 4a185q

I have read where people deride professors of engineering for not being ble to fix computers or automobiles or household electrical appliances. Are professors suppose to be technicians and master designs from every major brand?
Wondering how a professor who attended a University system and is focused on researching knowledge/teaching is suppose to become a skilled roadside mechanic or electrical technician.
Universities dont teach brands or designs but design principles and dynamics so i find it odd when people expect a lecturer in an engineering faculty to be a master of specific brands and their designs.

Cc : fynestboi olawalebabs nlfpmod fergie001 richiez

CodeTemplarr:
I have read where people deride professors of engineering for not being ble to fix computers or automobiles or household electrical appliances. Are professors suppose to be technicians and master designs from every major brand?
Wondering how a prodessor who attended a University system and is focused on researching knowledge/teaching is suppose to become a skilled roadside mechanic or electrical technician.
Universities dont teach brands or designs but design principles and dynamics so o find it odd when people expect a lecturer in an engineering faculty to be a master of specific brands and their designs.

Most Nigerians are illiterates. Once they say somebody is a professor, they believe he/she knows everything about everything.

To your question,no. In engineering profession we have engineers, technologists, and technicians, each have their different trainings and assignments.

When I was going to university to read Mechanical Engineering ngineering, my uncle that counsel me , an historian gave me three options: Medicine Pharmacy, or Mechanical Engineering. I naturally would have read Electrical Engineering. His idea was to finish and come and establish a maintenance garage. When I got to school, our syllabus was different from the idea I bought to the school.
The same notion people still have today.

Even ignorant technicians would still deride an engineer.

Anyway, the practice of engineering is not so encouraged in Nigeria. I know people in my class that are now chattered ant's, bankers, teachers, even bolt drivers!

Most people are painfully ignorant. They have no idea what the difference is, between a mechanical engineer and an auto mechanic, and wouldn't even care to learn.

People have this notion that mechanical engineering is just about repairing cars, automotive is just one aspect of mechanical engineering.

I read Mech. Engineering and aside just the introduction to automotive technology I did in my year one, I never do anything related to automotive till i finished my undergraduate, because my track (option) is different. Though I can still do minor things in a car; such as normal overhauling (servicing), alignment.

I believe if our engineering school were designed to operate in manners at which real engineering school ought to operates, fixing a faulty car or at least knowing precisely what could be wrong in the car would be a walk-over for any senior mechanical student let alone a professor in the field.

MightySparrow:



Most Nigerians are illiterates. Once they say somebody is a professor, they believe he/she knows everything about everything.

To your question,no. In engineering profession we have engineers, technologists, and technicians, each have their different trainings and assignments.

When I was going to university to read Mechanical Engineering ngineering, my uncle that counsel me , an historian gave me three options: Medicine Pharmacy, or Mechanical Engineering. I naturally would have read Electrical Engineering. His idea was to finish and come and establish a maintenance garage. When I got to school, our syllabus was different from the idea I bought to the school.
The same notion people still have today.

Even ignorant technicians would still deride an engineer.

Anyway, the practice of engineering is not so encouraged in Nigeria. I know people in my class that are now chattered ant's, bankers, teachers, even bolt drivers!

What are you currently into?

Nehyooh:
People have this notion that mechanical engineering is just about repairing cars, automotive is just one aspect of mechanical engineering.

I read Mech. Engineering and aside just the introduction to automotive technology I did in my year one, I never do anything related to automotive till i finished my undergraduate, because my track (option) is different. Though I can still do minor things in a car; such as normal overhauling (servicing), alignment.

Are you currently practicing the discipline?

What are our Nigeria faculty of Engineering producing nothing

Abeg mk everybody go sit down

Even Dangote and port Harcourt refinery is being controlled by either Indian or Lebanese 😏😏

Auto mechanic / mechanic engineer...different field.

CodeTemplarr:
I have read where people deride professors of engineering for not being ble to fix computers or automobiles or household electrical appliances. Are professors suppose to be technicians and master designs from every major brand?
Wondering how a prodessor who attended a University system and is focused on researching knowledge/teaching is suppose to become a skilled roadside mechanic or electrical technician.
Universities dont teach brands or designs but design principles and dynamics so o find it odd when people expect a lecturer in an engineering faculty to be a master of specific brands and their designs.

The former is well schooled( I assume) in the field. However, he may not have the necessary experience to be as dexterous as the latter.


The latter, though not schooled formally, has over the years, garnered knowledge from his "oga" and subsequently from his sojourn in the field of work.


The truth of the matter is that if the former must thrive in the field and gain an edge over the latter, he must first learn from the latter. Thus he would gain the advantage of certification and experience.

CodeTemplarr:
I have read where people deride professors of engineering for not being ble to fix computers or automobiles or household electrical appliances. Are professors suppose to be technicians and master designs from every major brand?
Wondering how a prodessor who attended a University system and is focused on researching knowledge/teaching is suppose to become a skilled roadside mechanic or electrical technician.
Universities dont teach brands or designs but design principles and dynamics so o find it odd when people expect a lecturer in an engineering faculty to be a master of specific brands and their designs.

If the first statement up there is not an assumption, then it is palpable and a sour sight for professors of a given field not being able to put to practice the techniques of their field. No thanks to the deplorable state of our educational system and misplaced priority amongst our youths, an average graduate on or even before graduation should earn a myriad of skills. Thus:
Technical skills (which falls under your scope), entrepreneurial skills and so on.




These days boys just want to be boys, girls just want to eat (apologies to my gender) and lecturers just want to be paid and laid.

MightySparrow:



Most Nigerians are illiterates. Once they say somebody is a professor, they believe he/she knows everything about everything.

To your question,no. In engineering profession we have engineers, technologists, and technicians, each have their different trainings and assignments.

When I was going to university to read Mechanical Engineering ngineering, my uncle that counsel me , an historian gave me three options: Medicine Pharmacy, or Mechanical Engineering. I naturally would have read Electrical Engineering. His idea was to finish and come and establish a maintenance garage. When I got to school, our syllabus was different from the idea I bought to the school.
The same notion people still have today.

Even ignorant technicians would still deride an engineer.

Anyway, the practice of engineering is not so encouraged in Nigeria. I know people in my class that are now chattered ant's, bankers, teachers, even bolt drivers!

why do people who study medicine and surgery ends up praticalizing it? Stop giving excuses, as a mechanical engineer, you should be able to particalize it.

Illiterate professors and experts in rigging elections.

Na so one talk say dem dey use Nyquist stability criterion to design stabilizer

sonofanarchy:
why do people who study medicine and surgery ends up praticalizing it? Stop giving excuses, as a mechanical engineer, you should be able to particalize it.

The curriculum was not made for practising. As an engineering student, we are basically being instilled with Knowledge and more on Problem Solving Mindset.

The problem is that each engineering course you know is actually very very diverse. Since there's limited time, you can only have the basic knowledge of each field.

Take for example, I'm studying Electronics and Computer Engineering. Fields we are expected to have a basic idea on:
Electrical Engineering (generating and substations, calculations on NEPA transmission lines and prepaid meter billing)
Programming of Microprocessors
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunication Engineering (How network providers operate).

Do you see now that what we have a wide knowledge compared to the roadside phone repairer?

People in Mech don't do only automobiles...they do air conditioning too, even biomass energy generation.

Lastly, asking a mechanical engineer to repair your car is like asking a medical doctor to perform hemispherectomy....you need a neurosurgeon for that. Likewise, you need a mech engineer who is specialized in automobiles to repair your car

A professor of mechanical engineering understands the principles of how mechanical systems work, whereas the auto mechanic only understands the surface, he has to learn how to repair different brands of vehicles before he can even touch them.

I think the best way to describe it is to classify professors as academics and auto mechanics as the technicians.

Most innovations in mechanical field of engineering were and are still being made by the professors in universities, not road side auto mechanics.

sonofanarchy:
why do people who study medicine and surgery ends up praticalizing it? Stop giving excuses, as a mechanical engineer, you should be able to particalize it.

can you define engineering and differentiate it from technical engineering related roles?

MightySparrow:



Most Nigerians are illiterates. Once they say somebody is a professor, they believe he/she knows everything about everything.

To your question,no. In engineering profession we have engineers, technologists, and technicians, each have their different trainings and assignments.

The urge to cheaply bring others down is inherent in the black man and largely responsible for the bolded. Witchcraft mindset is another way to put it.
Engineerig is simply about designs, which are no doubt more complex and demanding. The engineering syllabus in university system breaks engineering into physics principles bits, their mathematical representations, components and component models to actualize their behaviours.
Technicians role revolve around repairs, maintenance and operation.

flokii:
A professor of mechanical engineering understands the principles of how mechanical systems work, whereas the auto mechanic only understands the surface, he has to learn how to repair different brands of vehicles before he can even touch them.

I think the best way to describe it is to classify professors as academics and auto mechanics as the technicians.

Most innovations in mechanical field of engineering were and are still being made by the professors in universities, not road side auto mechanics.

Apt.
Let me add that teaching of principles of engineering does not allow for the petty idea of focusing of brands like Toyota or Honda or Ford. Doing that can be seen as promoting brands and their designs. Think about it, there innumerable mechanical designs from different brands covering autos, equipments, household items and more. What university teaches are the principles that help you aactualize fairly commplex designs. Your masters degree is suppose to help you advance into narrower fields within your first degree scope and expose you to advanced tools. Thats like further streamlining and not an expansion of scope. In the bible God gifted humans with tool making skills and product making skills. Two complementary and supplementary skillsets. Since then engineering has evolved into innumerable fields and area specializations. Technician roles are no doubt lesser than engineering.

focused on researching knowledge/teaching?

A Professor should be an academician no doubt but before you teach, you must have master the knowledge.

The difference between a good mechanic and a time waster is ONLY in identifying where the fault is - proper troubleshooting.
You either get that knowledge from years of working on different faults (Expeirenced Technician) OR learning in schools (Trained Engineer).

A Mechanical engineer cannot identify a fault in a vehicle? Shame on him and the curriculum he was schooled.

As a Mechanical Engineer (Electrical Engineers also), Once you identify the fault and outline how to fix it as an engineer, you can leave it to the technicians to dismantle the car, get the specified parts (specified by YOU), fix it and recouple the car.

CodeTemplarr:

The urge to cheaply bring others down is inherent in the black man and largely responsible for the bolded. Witchcraft mindset is another way to put it.
Engineerig is simply about designs, which are no doubt more complex and demanding. The engineering syllabus in university system breaks engineering into physics principles bits, their mathematical representations, components and component models to actualize their behaviours.
Technicians role revolve around repairs, maintenance and operation.

You get it my brother. I deliberately didn't get into that waiting for an illiterate to say something they don't understand. Corruption and indiscipline in Nigeria have not allowed Nigerian engineers to be tasked. See what is going on in Burkina Faso, the young ruler their is reshaping that country. How can we been importing things we can make? If you make a design in Nigeria looking for sponsorship, iit just takes a person of means to take same to China, with little.modification, your design is stolen.
If our government is disciplined and close our borders to things we can make, they will know that Nigerian engineers are brilliant. Few implements we do as projects are rusting away in our various institutions. After getting marks, the school and students forget about them. Similar, atimes inferior designs are imported to the country.
One annoying thing is seeing on the media about secondary school students using cardboard to model a thing and are carried life by ignorant journalists for iration of illiterate audience. Real working prototypes are wasting away in our institutions.
The vehicle designed by Professor Ayodele Awojobi (Atonov) is a monument in Unilag. The vehicle mechanisms are second to none. The poor man donated it for a generation of Nigeria that would bring it to reality, but when?
My brother, all is well.

ITbomb:
focused on researching knowledge/teaching?

A Professor should be an academician no doubt but before you teach, you must have master the knowledge.

The difference between a good mechanic and a time waster is ONLY in identifying where the fault is - proper troubleshooting.
You either get that knowledge from years of working on different faults (Expeirenced Technician) OR learning in schools (Trained Engineer).

A Mechanical engineer cannot identify a fault in a vehicle? Shame on him and the curriculum he was schooled.

As a Mechanical Engineer (Electrical Engineers also), Once you identify the fault and outline how to fix it as an engineer, you can leave it to the technicians to dismantle the car, get the specified parts (specified by YOU), fix it and recouple the car.

A stitch in time saves nine so let me try for you.

You should research simple like trademark, brand, model/design, engineering models, technician, build, and phrases like body of knowledge. How many exam scripts did Einstein or Faraday or Newton mark to become professors?
Yet they are highly revered because their works no doubt advanced the body of knowledge beyond where they met them as young researchers.

While our teaching system is regressive, the idea of blaming a professor for not leaving his research and teaching role to master innumrable designs available in the market, is daft at best. Most of the products you are expecting a professor of mechanical engr or electrical engr to fix most times are not wholly mechanical or electrical, that makes the idea extremely stupid. They involve many designs packed within a single product and all designs are not comprehensible. Some are intentionally crafted to decieve rival brands or reverse engineers looking to steal ideas. Some are crafted to conceal patents. Others are done poorly to beat down cost.
The latest Iphone uses more than 17 billion transistors in its core chip and it will be deeply stupid to expect someone with computer engr degree to repair 17 billion transistors packed into a space less than 0.5" square. There are multi-billion dollar nano engineering and precision engineering equipments that played key roles in helping to pack 17 billion transistors into an area less than human thumb. The fact that the name of the final product is called "computer" or "personal computer" doesn't make it a wholly computer engineering affair. There are processes with chip manufacture that takes between 22-26 weeks to achieve and so i wonder how a professor will master that also and identify such faults.
Most automobiles today have many computers within them and i wonder what a mechanic will do with transistors in any of the computers he isnt even aware of. They just know, there is some electronic/electrical module in there. Not much more.

In addition you can research differences between manufacturing and design. Intel is going throug rough times right now because they refused to specialize between those two areas. I wonder what one professor will achieve.

CodeTemplarr:

A stitch in time saves nine so let me try for you.


The latest Iphone uses more than 17 billion transistors in its core chip and it will be deeply stupid to expect someone with computer engr degree to repair 17 billion transistors packed into a space less than 0.5" square.

In addition you can research differences between manufacturing and design. Intel is going throug rough times right now because they refused to specialize between those two areas. I wonder what one professor will achieve.

You dont repair, you replace.
The key is finding where the fault is and recommending the fix. Nobody is asking you to manufacture as a level one and trained engineer, that is a specialised skill

ITbomb,
Is there anywhere in the world where they repair computer chip? It shows you are just typing to save face. If any exists, show me one. Just one.

Back to topic, the principles of design, which is what engineering fields professors teach and expand upon, does not put them in position to deconstruct or reverse engineer designs to the point of recommending replacements. An IC can be bad yet look normal. Lol. How will a prof go in there and identify a nanoscopic part? Which equipment do they use for that? Get knowledge and stop holding unto motor park fables about engineering.

The principles of mechanics for example will help a designer calculate force needed to propel a system linearly and translate that into circular motion then break down circular motion further into torgue and the likes to design a fairly complex system thats reliable. The aim of teaching university undergraduates mechanical design principles is to help thwm actualize designs and not to repair or troubleshoot existing ones which maybe incorporated into complex products that are not just mechanical but electrical inclined.

BenedictAbajue:




The curriculum was not made for practising. As an engineering student, we are basically being instilled with Knowledge and more on Problem Solving Mindset.

The problem is that each engineering course you know is actually very very diverse. Since there's limited time, you can only have the basic knowledge of each field.

Take for example, I'm studying Electronics and Computer Engineering. Fields we are expected to have a basic idea on:
Electrical Engineering (generating and substations, calculations on NEPA transmission lines and prepaid meter billing)
Programming of Microprocessors
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunication Engineering (How network providers operate).

Do you see now that what we have a wide knowledge compared to the roadside phone repairer?

People in Mech don't do only automobiles...they do air conditioning too, even biomass energy generation.

Lastly, asking a mechanical engineer to repair your car is like asking a medical doctor to perform hemispherectomy....you need a neurosurgeon for that. Likewise, you need a mech engineer who is specialized in automobiles to repair your car

Correct!
Let mw add to that list.

- Number Systems and Binary Operation
- Data Communications methods and transmission.
- Digital Logic and Gates.

Computer is just a device that performs computation and that makes it confusing to most. They dont see how they scroll through their phone or make a call as a computation of any sort they believe phones can be made on roadside workshops. Computer chip manufacture is a multi-billion dollar business. Intel and TSMC are building $100B complexes each. Thats not the stuff clowns want to step into.

Mercedes Benz final products are 30% German and 70% foreign manufactured but 100% German designed. Thats should hint any sane human being that manufacture ia not a child's play.

Newname:


Are you currently practicing the discipline?

I'm currently out of job, just doing some personal hustle. But I wish for opportunities

@CodeTemplarr

Take your time and read this again, this time, slowly

Nehyooh:
I'm currently out of job, just doing some personal hustle. But I wish for opportunities

Oh! I pray that opportunities come your way, sir. Good luck.

ITbomb:
@CodeTemplarr

Take your time and read this again, this time, slowly

ITbomb:
@CodeTemplarr

Take your time and read this again, this time, slowly

Does that make any sense to you or just a face saving tactic and something to shamelessly cling onto?

When you are ready you can show the whole qorld an example of computer chip being repaired or fixed with any form of tools. You are ITbomb afterall.

Newname:

Oh! I pray that opportunities come your way, sir. Good luck.

Amen! Thank you bro.