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What's wrong with 'engineering education for sustainable development?': it must be required
Omur-Ozbek, Pinar Siller, Thomas Johnson, Gerry
Omur-Ozbek, Pinar
Siller, Thomas
Johnson, Gerry
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Date
2025
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Abstract
We are living in a period marked by climate disruption, resource depletion and scarcity, and environmental pollution with persistent pollutants, hence sustainability is not an aspirational goal but an urgent pursuit. Unfortunately, engineering education has been slow to respond to this reality. While engineers have been critical in driving technological advancements, they have also contributed to the challenges that threaten the presence and survival of all living species on earth. Engineers are not only a contributor to the climate crisis but also a key player in its solution. To enable engineers to be the stewards of the future of life on earth, sustainability must be embedded as a core component in all engineering curricula, rather than being offered as an elective course, a single module, or, in some cases, being omitted entirely. This paper highlights that sustainability should be a mandatory part of every engineering student's education, regardless of discipline. We emphasize that integrating sustainability into the engineering curriculum is critical for equipping future engineers with the knowledge and skills necessary to design solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. By adopting a holistic approach to sustainability education, engineering programs can better prepare graduates to tackle the complex and interconnected challenges of our time. We evaluate different strategies for embedding sustainability across the engineering curriculum, drawing on examples from programs that have already made significant advancement in this area. These approaches range from developing new courses specifically focused on sustainable engineering practices to weaving sustainability principles throughout existing courses in engineering. We examine the relative benefits and limitations of each approach, considering factors such as faculty expertise, industry expectations, accreditation requirements, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration.
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Keywords (free text)
industry collaboration, accreditation requirements, curriculum integration, engineering education, engineering for sustainable development, education for sustainabilty, sustainability in engineering