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.

Enroll Add to Favorites

Modules/Weeks

1

Weekly Effort

4–6 hours

Discipline

Engineering
Climate

School

Columbia Engineering

Format

Online

Cost

$99.00
Course Description What You Will Learn Instructors
  • 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.

     

     

Module Overview

Module 1: Introduction to the Construction Industry: The Way Forward

This module covers an introduction to the broader course and learning goals.

Module 2: History, Characteristics and Challenges of the Construction Industry

This module covers the history, development, and common characteristics of the construction industry, as well as internal challenges the construction industry faces.

Module 3: Trends in the Construction Industry

This module focuses on new trends in the construction industry, including aging infrastructure, climate change, urbanization, sustainability, and the workforce shortage.

Module 4: Transformations Needed: Industry and Government Level

This module covers a variety of transformations needed to move forward in the construction industry within the industry and government sectors, focusing on topics of marketing, regulations, and procurement.

Module 5: Transformations Needed: Companies Level

This module covers a variety of transformations needed to move forward in the construction industry, focusing on topics of strategy, process and operations, and the workforce with a company.

Module 6: New and Rising Innovative Technologies

This module discusses innovative technologies beginning to break through into the construction industry, such as new materials, big data, VR and AR, drone and robotics, and 3D printing.

 

 

Instructors

dark-haired male professor in white, collared shirt and tie, standing in front of a green chalkboard
Ibrahim Odeh
Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Construction Management, Strategy and Business Development in the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

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.