Development of the Ability for Professional Interaction in Future Engineers at a Research University

Abstract

The paper states that the development of the ability for professional communication in a future engineer is a prerequisite for him becoming a skilled specialist, as well as a significant factor in his future professional activity. The solution of production problems and fruitful interdisciplinary team work are facilitated by the communicative and rhetorical qualities of an engineer who is ready for productive business communication and effective presentation of his position, as well as the presentation of work results. The future engineers’ professional communication ability should be developed at the university level. We proposed the rationale for its effective development through the creation of a set of relevant pedagogical conditions: the introduction of Rhetoric as an additional discipline or the modernization of the program of an existing subject with a similar focus; the use of specially designed educational techniques and methods for the development of communicative and rhetorical competence; training university staff in the conditions of advanced training; creation by the university of conditions for students’ active research and social activities; cooperation of educational institutions with large enterprises, companies and research centers. The paper also provides a pedagogical experiment conducted under the aegis of the Kazan National Research Technological University. We have developed the recommendations for the selection and structuring of the material as well as methods for developing the future engineers’ ability to professional communication at a research university; we have also identified problems that require further consideration, including the search for innovative methods.