PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY CRISIS: AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING IN A NON-DIRECTIONAL FLUX

Abstract

Agricultural engineering has been aptly described as a career for all seasons, denoting the fact that humanity can hardly survive comfortably without the services, products and goods provided by agricultural engineers. However, in the past 20 years there have been several developments in industry and academia which are inimical and detrimental to continued existence of agricultural engineering as a discipline in the universities and as a career in industry. Former agricultural engineering departments have acquired new names and curricula have been reviewed severally, ostensibly to make the course relevant to industry and attractive to potential undergraduates. Agricultural engineering graduates have faced a professional identity crisis since employers and statutory registration bodies have been extremely reluctant to recognize them as engineers. The objective of this paper is to identify the causes of, and possible remedies for the professional identity crisis that agricultural engineers face in Kenya. A literature review on the genesis of the problem is presented and the possible way to the future is explored. The opinions of the author on the issue, based on his observations and experiences as an agricultural engineer are presented. Apart from the huge remit of agricultural engineering as a degree programme, institutional and staff weaknesses are identified as major causes of the professional identity crisis. The author calls on agricultural engineers to promote and protect their identity as the most suitable engineers for agriculture and rural development. It is reaffirmed that agricultural engineering as a name is still the most logical, relevant and appropriate title for engineers who want to apply their expertise in agriculture and rural development.