How Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS’ chemical engineering course can help you navigate the rising global consumer demand
The world celebrated its eighth billionth person born as of November 2022, and this number is expected to see continued growth for the foreseeable future. Global demand will likely increase as a result, causing significant economic shifts in the coming years.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS believes that chemical engineers will play an essential role in helping industries adapt to the rising consumer demand and aims to provide a holistic environment for students to develop their engineering fundamentals with its
Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honours programme.
Here are some examples of what chemical engineers do that can benefit the future of manufacturing:
Innovative chemical compounds
At its core, a chemical engineer’s job is to oversee manufacturing processes and find new ways to make them more efficient and safe regardless of industry. This is becoming especially relevant today as manufacturing companies are increasing their scope of production to meet people’s demands.
One of the ways chemical engineers assist with manufacturing is by refining chemical processes. The evolution of batteries is one such example: lithium-ion batteries (used in mobile devices and electric vehicles) have seen a price drop of close to 97% over the last 30 years due to gradual improvements in chemical composition.
Because of chemical engineers' innovation, we have everyday products like batteries, recyclable plastics and petroleum.
Chemical engineers today can find themselves contributing to the development of computer chips, the development of new polymers, assisting with pharmaceuticals, and more. These innovations help reduce production costs for manufacturers to help them match the rise in global demand.
Graduates of UTP’s Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honours can expect to develop into confident chemical engineers who can juggle various engineering considerations such as public health, environmental, and societal factors. This allows them to become capable leaders in chemical processing.
Combating a climate crisis
As global agricultural and manufacturing sectors expand, it also leads to a substantial increase in greenhouse gas production released into the atmosphere as a consequence.
Many businesses today are already carbon positive; this means that their business operations result in a net increase in carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to global warming. If left unchecked, climate change can cause serious risks to human health in a multitude of ways.
As countries across the globe show their support against climate change via the United Nations Framework Convention against Climate Change (UNFCCC), chemical engineers will play a key role in helping businesses transition into more sustainable practices.
Pollution in the environment is a serious detriment to the natural ecosystem and could be harmful to human health.
This includes proper evaluation of manufacturing production cycles, identifying potential risks of producing greenhouse gases and developing suitable alternatives that are cleaner, safer and sustainable.
As a part of its curriculum, UTP heavily emphasises ethical principles and social responsibility alongside its engineering practices. Students will also have the option of enrolling in a specialised subject of choice at the end of their studies, which includes Environment and Sustainable Engineering.
Throughout these core specialisations, graduates focus on using scientific principles to protect and improve environmental health. Topics range from improving recycling processes, facilitating safe waste disposals, setting guidelines for water and air pollution control, and more.
Kickstart your chemical engineer career with UTP
For those interested in chemical engineering, UTP’s Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honours programme is designed to push students towards their goals at a steady yet effective pace, guided by experienced lecturers every step of the way.
By the end of the course, graduates will obtain expertise in industrial processing environments across a variety of industries – whether it involves supervising plant operations, modifying facilities to improve efficiency and safety, or evaluating operational processes – that will enable them to excel in the face of modern industrial demands.
To find out more about UTP’s selection of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, click here.
