The Global Construction Industry: The Way Forward
Discover the fundamentals of the global construction industry, including its environment, challenges, trends, and transformations in this introductory course.
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Course Description
- Analyze industry characteristics and environmental influences on construction productivity through case studies.
- Examine internal challenges in the construction sector to gain comprehensive understanding.
- Explore construction project types and factors affecting productivity using an academic and professional approach.
- Foster critical thinking and analysis skills to identify and evaluate industry-specific challenges for improved problem-solving.
What You Will Learn
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the construction industry and its productivity challenges through engaging case studies and industry exploration.
Identify ten key trends reshaping the construction sector, including aging infrastructure, climate change, sustainability, urbanization, and workforce issues, and gain insights into optimal responses to these trends.
Analyze industry transformation efforts, collaboration with governments, innovative strategies, and workforce management in response to modern challenges.
Evaluate the impact of emerging technologies such as Big Data, machine learning, 3D printing, robotics, virtual/augmented reality, and Digital Twin on the construction industry, and understand their connection to the four industrial revolutions.
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to the construction industry: The way forward
Module 2: History, characteristics and challenges of the construction industry
Module 3: Trends in the construction industry
Module 4: Transformations needed: Industry and government level
Module 5: Transformations needed: Companies level
Module 6: New and rising innovative technologies
Instructors
Ibrahim S. Odeh is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Construction Management, Strategy, and Business Development in the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. His research and studies are focused on providing strategic management assignments for construction firms, including infrastructure and construction market analysis, market entry strategy, and future trends in the construction market. His work has assisted several companies in making decisions to enter new geographical locations, expand into new markets, and differentiate firms during the pre-bidding process on mega projects. Odeh joined the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2017 as an official industry expert in Engineering and Construction. He has worked on research and consulting projects with leading firms and institutions such as Boston Consulting Group, Skanska, and AECOM. Odeh has also led a specialization in Construction Management on Coursera, which has educated thousands of people worldwide. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Construction Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA degree with an emphasis on Finance from Minnesota, USA. Odeh serves on several advisory boards and committees, including the World Economic Forum and Columbia University Middle East Research Center.
Please note that there are no instructors or course assistants actively monitoring this course.