Sam is still very much in touch with the trends unfolding in the academic side of engineering. When asked about the cross-disciplinary trend, he had much to say. 

 

‘In my opinion, many people still don’t really understand the cross-disciplinary trend,’ he said. ‘Let’s take, for example, mechanical and electrical engineering. By grouping these main branches, you already have a very wide scope to cover.’ 

 

Speaking with conviction, he added: ‘It’ll take a lot for an engineer to not only master his or her own field, but to also gain a firm understanding of cross-disciplines such as geotechnical engineering, building engineering and systems engineering.’ 

 

Sam added that there is definitely a lot to be gained for those who are willing to go through the paces. ‘The key to excel in this field is to be multi-disciplinary. Put yourself in the shoes of a conductor in an orchestra. The conductor has to understand what each and every musician is doing. He doesn’t play all of the 

instruments himself, but he knows what the others are doing.’ 

It’s not far-fetched to draw parallels between a well-oiled orchestra and the diverse field of engineering. ‘Being multi-disciplinary is what turns people into CEOs, because almost every company is multi-disciplinary in nature,’ he concluded.

 

Coming from a single-disciplinary background hasn’t blurred Sam’s thoughts about the importance of multi-disciplinary engineering. In fact, he was quick to point out that the industry in Malaysia is facing a shortage of multi-disciplinary engineers. 

 

‘The corporate world, in general, lacks multi-disciplinary employees,’ he said. ‘Bigger organisations today look for employees who have work experiences in different fields and know how to apply them in day-to-day scenarios. These are the employees that are truly valuable to a corporation.’ 

 

However, Sam is fully aware of the fact that the engineering industry will always have a demand for single-disciplinary specialists. ‘There will be specific needs, for example, for very specific equipment. So there will always be people who manufacture nothing but measuring equipment. Then you have the experts who only specialise in making lasers. There will always be a need for engineers who are specialists at what they do.’ 

 

Thus, single-disciplinary engineers are far from being obsolete; and this delicate balance in the industry exists for a reason. ‘Single-disciplinary specialists are assisting the multi-disciplinary all-rounders in achieving their tasks, and vice versa. They are, and will always be, working with one another. This is how the entire engineering industry functions.’

 

‘Back when I was with Arup,’ Sam recalls, ‘I was “taught to think”. We had to ask ourselves, “What is the best solution for a particular problem, at a particular time, at a particular place, within a particular budget?” Given enough time and money, we can do anything. Man did build the pyramids, after all, but we live in a different world today. There are a lot of constraints for engineers to consider,’ he said.

 

Never short on advice for the younger generation, Sam ended the interview by saying that fresh graduates should equip themselves with an open mind when they leave school. 

 

‘It’s important for students to realise the initiatives they have to take. While you’re still young, take in all that you can. Learn as much as you can. Get involved with whatever you can, and learn from these experiences. People will take notice of your initiatives, including potential employers.’