In order to promote sustainability in all its dimensions (Environmental, social, economic), we might need to modify our current Engineering Programs Curricula to strengthen the outcomes related to sustainable development, cost-effective design, socially acceptable projects,etc. Our graduates should practice engineering keeping in mind these concepts along with practicing codes and ethics. Many items fall under this category which we can point out, highlight and exchange experience.
I'm going to answer this from two perspectives - as the practitioner, and as the student.
As a practicing civil engineer with 25 years of experience in land development and water resources, I would say that we need graduates that are able to synthesise very disparate types of information to be able to come up with novel approaches to entirely new problems. Being only able to solve the same problems that were solved 200 years ago misses a serious opportunity. I think the undergraduate program would have to be broadened and lengthened, and after first year, include mandatory courses on language, communication, sociology, economics, ecology, trans-discipline work assignments and the like. After 2 years of that, go back to 3 years of somewhat conventional engineering studies to allow specialization.
As a student of Sustainability Engineering, I would say that we have to teach the tools that need to be used. Teach the difference between a unit of measurement and an indicator, and explain how they are used (units to design, indicators to monitor). Teach when it is appropriate to challenge and educate the client. Teach definitions, and show the difference between a description (the sky is blue) and a definition (the sky is that part of the atmosphere that is visible above the horizon) - far too much of Sustainability Science focuses on descriptions, while engineering requires definitions. The student has to come out into the 'real world' and be prepared to educate their senior colleagues, because we didn't get this stuff in school. I've got my own website on my work on the topic - www.sustainabilityengineering.net. Use whatever is useful to you.
Dear Dr. Abuyaghi,
please, find here some educational resources for teaching sustainability in engineering; it's a collection of problems for courses of first grade of Bachelor's degrees in engineering:
https://www.upc.edu/bupc/hemeroteca/2001/b37/22-7.pdf
https://cataleg.upc.edu/search~S1*cat?/c504+Pro/c504+!ap!ar!ao!j/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CB/frameset&FF=c504+!ap!ar!ao!j&5%2C%2C13
Note: This book is in Catalan and Spanish languages. I am sorry but I do not have an English version. You may use an online translator for translating it
thank you Douglas Nuttall Jose Ignacio Rojas Gregorio Rita Bouchard
for your ideas and suggestions .
As an educator, but I would clarify that I am not an engineering practitioner or neither around any engineer practitioner, so this is purely my opinion...My answer to the question are; you might want to include the indigenous materials be incorporated in engineering.. you might also want to include ergonomic aspect as well as topographical knowledge to make each project efficient... You may include social interaction and personal development also to your curriculum.. Thank you
Thank Melanne drapeza Allas for adding new ideas to sustainability in engineering
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