Are you working as an engineer or teaching engineering in a developing country? Or thinking of working in a developing country? If so, this blog post is particularly relevant for you.

It’s also relevant if you wonder why so many poorer countries remain poor. It’s not just because of corruption and mismanagement. There is much more to this issue.

Much of my research effort over the last 20 years has been to understand why engineering practices in India and Pakistan are so different from those in wealthy countries like Australia.

I discovered that the cost to deliver engineered goods and services of equivalent quality, durability, design, reliability and fitness for use is nearly always significantly higher in poorer countries. Among other factors like climate, this helps to explain why poorer countries find it so hard to develop prosperous economies.

My latest research paper on this topic has appeared in the Southern Journal of Engineering Education, edited by an enthusiastic team of young researchers led by Bruce Kloot. They gracefully allowed me to exceed the normal length limit. Yes, it’s a relatively long paper. However, it’s a complex story too.