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The engineering profession has been highlighted in the context of a growing need for professionals capable of addressing the pressing challenges of sustainability. The purpose of this study is to present innovative experiences in engineering education for sustainable development in Brazil. This research was conducted in three stages: first, innovative initiatives were mapped through document research, literature review, grey literature, and the press; second, 37 academics who created and/or participated in these initiatives were interviewed, including professors, program coordinators, department heads, engineering school directors, and university chancellors; and third, the initiatives were analyzed and discussed with a team of specialists. The initiatives can be categorized into two types: innovative actions, projects, and structures (i.e., isolated actions, institutional projects, and institutional structure) and engineering programs with innovative characteristics (i.e., innovative curricula and pedagogical approaches, and new organizational paradigms to support engineering schools). Key characteristics, conceptual foundations, examples, and contributions to the sustainable development goals are discussed for each type of initiative. Emerging topics related to engineering education for sustainable development were identified and related to real cases. A shift towards a sustainability paradigm in engineering education is dependent on university top management commitment and can be accelerated by integrating initiatives at multiple levels of the university system. [Display omitted] • Innovative EESD initiatives in Brazilian universities are mapped. • Interviewees held key positions in the main Brazilian engineering schools. • Contributions from EESD initiatives to achieve SDGs are discussed. • Emerging EESD-related topics are identified and linked to real cases. • A systems perspective on innovative EESD initiatives is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For sustainable engineering to contribute to sustainability, curricular reforms are needed to train sustainability-conscious engineers. Examining student perceptions of sustainability education can provide insights for benchmarking the current quality of a curriculum and for identifying strategies for reforming a curriculum. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine student interest in, knowledge of, and experiences related to sustainability in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). A survey was developed and administered to students () enrolled in CEE capstone courses. The results indicated that although students are interested in sustainable development, there is potential for further enhancing sustainability learning. In addition, students reported that CEE courses strongly impacted their learning, which underscores the importance of curricular quality. Finally, although students were generally satisfied with CEE sustainability education, they cited the need for more guidance on integrating sustainability into the design process. Although this case study provides feedback to improve CEE sustainability education at Georgia Tech, it also serves as an example for other programs interested in evaluating their curricula from a student perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major 2006 survey of US schools of architecture identified significant problems in the way earthquake engineering design was integrated into and taught in their curricula. More than 10 years later, this paper reviews several of the significant problems raised, and reports on new developments in three areas. First, after acknowledging the pivotal role of the design studio in architectural education, two models of teaching earthquake engineering by linking seismic design to design studio projects are reported. The success of the models is attributed to both short and intense tutoring sessions by external professional engineers, coupled with the use of seismic design rule-of-thumb software. The second area of progress has been the remedying of shortcomings in seismic design content and appropriate teaching resources. Finally, the paper focuses on the development and use of rule-of-thumb software. This empowers students to design and size the seismic-resistant structure their design projects require. Results from student surveys in several countries suggest the software is appropriate for its users and it contributes positively to the seismic design education of architects. The paper concludes that an effective approach to teaching seismic design in a school of architecture necessitates a certain minimum content being conveyed to the students, followed by application of this material to one or more of their studio design projects. The inherent structural complexity of these projects requires tutorial advice from professional engineers that can be limited and should then be taken to another level of detail by the use of rule-of-thumb software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]