ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY

ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY

M. Zéraï, N. AJAILIA (2024).  ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY .

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) offer a framework for addressing global challenges. To contribute to these goals, engineers need a range of competencies, including technical skills, effective communication, and critical thinking. We suggest using the SDGs as an integrating theme in engineering programs, unifying various modules into a cohesive, multidisciplinary curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of engineering makes it suitable for such integration. Achieving clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), for example, requires expertise in fluid mechanics and skills in communicating solutions to stakeholders. Ensuring access to affordable and sustainable energy (SDG 7) demands an understanding of energy systems and an ability to evaluate societal and environmental impacts. The SDGs can act as a unifying thread, linking subjects and skills in a way that reflects the real-world complexities engineers face. By integrating these goals into the curriculum, we address the concerns and interests of younger generations who are deeply concerned about environmental issues and the future of the planet. This approach also helps students to understand the interplay of technical, ethical, social, and environmental factors in creating sustainable solutions. In this paper, we propose a straightforward method for constructing engineering curricula that use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding thread. We'll apply this method not just to cross-disciplinary or specialised modules but also to basic courses like maths, physics, and algorithmic. Our goal is for students to see that these fundamental subjects are key to tackling environmental problems around the world. Integrating the SDGs can also invigorate teaching methods, promoting active learning and critical reflection. Project-based assignments on SDG challenges enable students to develop technical and interpersonal skills, preparing them as competent engineers and global changemakers, while also resonating with their desire to engage in work that contributes to sustainable and ethical development.

Authors (New): 
Mourad Zéraï
Nadia AJAILIA
Affiliations: 
ESPRIT School of Engineering, Tunisia
Keywords: 
UN SDGs
Engineering education
Multidisciplinary Skills
Integrated curriculum
CDIO Standard 1
CDIO Standard 2
CDIO Standard 3
CDIO standard 4
CDIO Standard 7
CDIO Standard 9
CDIO Standard 11
Year: 
2024
Reference: 
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. Jossey-Bass.: 
Beagon, U., Bowe, B., Gillet, C., Kövesi, K., Tabas, B.S. (2022). Insights into the integration of the SDGs in engineering program curricula as seen through the prism of the perceptions of engineering students ans educators.: 
Brundtland, G.H. (1987) Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Geneva, UN-Dokument A/42/427. http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-ov.htm.: 
Chaplin, G., & Wyton, P. (2014). Student engagement with sustainability : understanding the value–action gap. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 15, 404-417.: 
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2012-0029
Chen, H., Wang, S., & Li, Y. (2022). Aligning Engineering Education for Sustainable Development through Governance: The Case of the International Center for Engineering Education in China. Sustainability, 14(21), 14643.: 
https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114643
Crawley, Edward & Malmqvist, Johan & Lucas, William & Brodeur, Doris. (2011). The CDIO Syllabus v2. 0 An Updated Statement of Goals for Engineering Education.: 
Crawley, E. F., Malmqvist, J., Östlund, S., Brodeur, D., & Edström, K. (2014). Rethinking Engineering Education The CDIO Approach, 2nd ed., Springer-Verlag, New York, USA: 
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05561-9
Dagiliūtė, R., Liobikienė, G., Minelgaitė,A. , Sustainability at universities: Students’ perceptions from Green and Non-Green universities, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 181, 2018, Pages 473-482,ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.213.: 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.213.
IPCC, 2023: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 1-34.: 
Hoffmann, M. H. W. (2005) , "An engineering model of learning," Proceedings Frontiers in Education 35th Annual Conference, Indianopolis, IN, USA, 2005, pp. T2C-1, doi: 10.1109/FIE.2005.1611887.: 
10.1109/FIE.2005.1611887.
Llopis-Albert, C., Rubio, F., Zeng, S., Grima-Olmedo, J., Grima-Olmedo, C. (2022). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) applied to Mechanical Engineering. Multidisciplinary. Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences, 9(1), 59-70.: 
https://doi.org/10.4995/muse.2022.17269
Malmqvist, J., Knutson Wedel, M., Lundqvist, U., Edström, K., Rosén, A., Fruergaard Astrup, T., Vigild, M. E., Munkebo Hussman, P., Kamp, A., & More Authors (2019). Towards CDIO standards 3.0. Paper presented at 15th International CDIO Conference, Aarhus, Denmark.: 
Malmqvist J, Edström K, Rosén A, Hugo R, Campbell D, (2020). A First Set of Optional CDIO Standards for Adoption, Proceedings of the 16th International CDIO Conference, hosted on-line by Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.: 
Malmqvist, J., Lundqvist, U., Rosén, A. et al (2022). The CDIO Syllabus 3.0 - An Updated Statement of Goals. Proceedings of the 18th International CDIO Conference, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik Iceland: 
Miñano Rubio, R., Uruburu Colsa, Á., Moreno Romero, A. M., Lumbreras Martín, J., Carrasco Gallego, R., & Borge García, R. (2016). Designing a comprehensive methodology to integrate sustainability issues in CDIO projects.: 
Mulder, K.F., Jansen, L.A. (2006). Integrating sustainable development in engineering education reshaping education by organizational learning. Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher Education. Education for Sustainable Development in Action. Technical paper 3. UNESCO.: 
Pérez-Sánchez, M., Díaz-Madroñero, M., Mula, J., Sanchis, R. (2020). The sustainable development goals (sdgs) applied to higher education. A project-based learning proposal integrated with the sdgs in bachelor degrees at the campus alcoy (upv). 3997-4005. 10.21125/edulearn.2020.1078.: 
https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2020.1078
Perrault, E., Clark, S.,. (2017). Sustainability Attitudes and Behavioral Motivations of College Students: Testing the Extended Parallel Process Model. In International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 19. 00-00. 10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0175. : 
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0175.
Quelhas, O., Lima, G., Ludolf, N.,Meirino, M., Abreu, C., Anholon, R.,Neto, J., Rodrigues, L., (2019). Engineering education and the development of competencies for sustainability. In International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 20. 10.1108/IJSHE-07-2018-0125.: 
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2018-0125.
Ramirez-Mendoza, R. A., Morales-Menendez, R., Melchor-Martinez, E. M., Iqbal, H. M., Parra-Arroyo, L., Vargas-Martínez, A., & Parra-Saldivar, R. (2020). Incorporating the sustainable development goals in engineering education. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 14, pp 739-745.: 
Rosén, A., Edström, K., Grøm, A., Gumaelius, L., Hussmann, P.M., Högfeldt, A., Karvinen, M., Keskinen, M., Wedel, M.K., Lundqvist, U., Lyng, R., Malmqvist, J., Nygaard, M.K., Vigild, M.E., & Astrup, T.F. (2019). Mapping the CDIO syllabus to the unesco key competencies for sustainability.: 
Segalàs Coral, J., Drijvers, R., & Tijseen, J. (2018). 16 Years of EESD. A Review of the Evolution of the EESD Conference and its Future Challenges. In EESD 2018: 9th International Conference on Engineering Education for Sustainable Development: Glassboro, New Jersey: June 3-6, 2018: proceedings (pp. 12-19).: 
Svanström, M., Lozano‐García, F.J. and Rowe, D. (2008), "Learning outcomes for sustainable development in higher education", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 339-351. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370810885925: 
https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370810885925
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Sustainable Development.: 
UNESCO. (2021). Engineering for Sustainable Development. ISBN 978-92-3-100437-7.: 
UNESCO. (2022). What you need to know about education for sustainable development. https://www.unesco.org/en/education/sustainable-development/need-know.: 
Van Dam‐Mieras, R. (2006). Learning for sustainable development: Is it possible within the established higher education structures? Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher Education. Education for Sustainable Development in Action. Technical paper 3. UNESCO.: 
Vehmaa, A., Karvinen, M., Keskinen, M. (2018). Building a More Sustainable Society? A Case Study on the Role of Sustainable Development in the Education and Early Career of Water and Environmental Engineers. Sustainability.: 
Zhang, Q.,Vanasupa, L., Mihelcic, J. R., Zimmerman, J. B.,Platukyte, S. (2012, June), Challenges for Integration of Sustainability into Engineering Education Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21052: 
https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--21052
Go to top