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The purpose of this paper is to research the ways of integrating sustainable development into study programs of engineering faculties in an international context, as well as to analyse the current state of engineering education for sustainable development at the universities of the Republic of Serbia. Therefore, a desktop research, as well as an analysis of the engineering education curricula, have been conducted. The results of the research indicated to two possible approaches to the integration of sustainable development into the engineering curricula – in the form of special subjects dedicated to the problems of sustainable development in the engineering, or as an integrative approach which implies that sustainable development becomes an integral part of the entire curriculum. Subjects dedicated to sustainable development have been identified at all universities, but not at all faculties where engineers are educated in the Republic of Serbia, they are present at all levels of study (undergraduate, master, doctoral), as well as within applied, integrated and specialist studies, and by status they are most often elective. The results confirm that the engineering curricula open up towards the questions of sustainable development both in international context, and in higher education of the Republic of Serbia and as such, they can serve to the relevant ministries of education and science, universities and engineering faculties as a recommendation in which way to plan and design higher education of engineers in the future in order to provide overall support in the integration of sustainability into the engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As globalization continues to impact the engineering profession, many programs aim to prepare current and future engineers to work across national and cultural boundaries. Yet there remains a lack of quality tools for assessing global competency among engineers and other technical professionals, including their behavioral tendencies in global work situations. Purpose We introduce development of a situational judgment test (SJT) covering three dimensions of global engineering competency (GEC) in Chinese national/cultural context. The main aim of this article is to describe how the SJT was developed through a systematic multistep process. Secondarily, we explore relationships between SJT performance and other theoretically relevant variables. Methods: After generating a large initial pool of SJT scenarios and behavioral response items, we used ratings from subject matter experts (SMEs) to select six SJT scenarios and create scoring keys for 26 response items. To further explore the instrument's validity, we deployed the SJT items, other relevant measures, and a demographic survey to a sample of practicing engineers (n = 400). Results: SME ratings provide strong evidence for the content relevance of the GEC–SJT tool. Survey results also suggest positive relationships between SJT performance and Chinese cultural knowledge, age, and years of work experience. However, more validity and reliability evidence is needed before recommending wider use of the instrument. Conclusions: Our findings suggest the SJT format as a promising behavior‐based approach to measuring global competency and other professional attributes in engineering. We also discuss directions for future research and training efforts related to assessing and developing global competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle engineering (LCE) targets product development and manufacturing activities in a life cycle perspective, with the aim to create more sustainable solutions. Coined approximately 30 years ago, it was adopted by the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP, from the French title), which established annual conferences on life cycle engineering to further develop the concept and its operationalisation. With the recent advent of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), engineering is now provided with specific targets to steer societies towards sustainable production and consumption. But how can LCE contribute to meeting the UN SDGs? Here, we report on a consultation process conducted as part of the 25th CIRP LCE conference, organised in Copenhagen, DK, in 2018. Approximately 175 participants reflected on a list of ten pre-identified challenges for implementing the SDG agenda that LCE could help tackle, and were solicited to propose solutions. A total of 118 solutions were proposed, and the main messages and recommendations are summarised and reported in the paper. Overall, they voice the need for stronger action from academia (e.g. research needs related to addressing trade-offs across SDGs), business and governments (e.g. transparent and harmonised reporting on sustainability performances, internalisation of external costs) and society at large (e.g. consumer behaviour, role of education). • Experts were consulted on how life cycle engineering can contribute meeting the UN SDGs. • An interactive session was organised in an international LCE conference. • Solutions to pre-defined challenges to achieve SDGs were proposed by 175 participants. • Specific key messages from the proposed solutions are reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diverse perspectives, including those of Native Americans, are needed to drive innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Tribes such as the Navajo Nation are seeking to strengthen their communities, create economic opportunities, and improve the lives of their peoples by encouraging members of their tribe to become engineers. Research investigating how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community can provide insight into how to engage Navajo students in pathways to careers in STEM. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of the study was to identify and investigate the ways in which Navajo engineers experience, understand, and apply engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community. Design/Method: A phenomenographic approach was used to explore the ways that Navajo engineers experience and understand the phenomena of engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community. A total of 20 Navajo engineers were interviewed for this study. Results: Four qualitatively distinct lenses on how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice embedded in the culture of the Navajo community were identified as (a) Navajo‐centered behavior, (b) Navajo‐centered purpose, (c) Navajo‐centered strategy, and (d) Navajo‐centered application. Conclusions: The results of the study provide a deeper understanding of how Navajo engineers experience similarities and differences between Navajo culture and engineering design and practice, and provide a foundation for the development of culturally responsive engineering design curricula for classrooms in the Navajo Nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The paper aims to examine the current status and development of sustainable development in Finnish engineering education.Design/methodology/approach The study consists of interviews with key stakeholders supplemented with the analysis of documented material. Development is discussed in relation to the findings of collaborative strategy process in the year 2009.Findings The paper observes that the Finnish universities providing engineering education are committed to sustainable development in their strategies. However, a lot of work remains to be done before the strategies are implemented and sustainable development is integrated to all degree programs. Explicit knowledge and individual learning in clearly defined disciplinary boundaries have been the main focus of engineering education.Practical implications The paper suggests that engineers need to be provided with mental tools to cope with uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Key competencies include holistic understanding, communication and collaboration skills, ability and willingness for critical and reflective thinking, creativity, innovativeness and entrepreneurship. Thus, collaborative learning, open dialogue and innovation are at the heart of education for sustainable development.Originality/value This paper has a relatively wide approach as it analyses sustainable development in the context of Finnish engineering education both on institutional and societal levels and is based on a national project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines and extends work bringing together engineering ethics and Science and Technology Studies, which had built upon Diane Vaughan's analysis of the Challenger shuttle accident as a test case. Reconsidering the use of her term 'normalization of deviance,' the article argues for a middle path between moralizing against and excusing away engineering practices contributing to engineering disaster. To explore an illustrative pedagogical case and to suggest avenues for constructive research developing this middle path, it examines the emergence of green chemistry and green engineering. Green chemistry began when Paul Anastas and John Warner developed a set of new rules for chemical synthesis that sought to learn from missed opportunities to avoid environmental damage in the twentieth century, an approach that was soon extended to engineering as well. Examination of tacit assumptions about historical counterfactuals in recent, interdisciplinary discussions of green chemistry illuminate competing views about the field's prospects. An integrated perspective is sought, addressing how both technical practice within chemistry and engineering and the influence of a wider 'social movement' can play a role in remedying environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The field of engineering is changing rapidly as the growing global population puts added demands on the earth''s resources: engineering decisions must now account for limitations in materials and energy as well as the need to reduce discharges of wastes. This means educators must revise courses and curricula so engineering graduates are prepared for the new challenges as practicing engineers. The Center for Sustainable Engineering has been established to help faculty members accommodate such changes through workshops and new educational materials, including a free access website with peer-reviewed materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article aims to provide engineers and the engineering community with a sustainability conceptual framework setting out the connections linking engineering projects to environmental and social systems. The main principles of sustainable development on the one hand and of sustainable engineering on the other hand are first reviewed, analyzed, and synthesized. Particular attention is paid to the principles put forward by international and national engineering organizations. Key issues emerging for sustainable development in general and sustainable engineering are identified through structured lists of principles. Second, concepts and models originating in natural and social sciences are outlined to shed more light on the ways the various aspects of sustainability are related. The conceptual framework we propose combines the reviewed concepts and models in a relevant manner for sustainable engineering. Engineering projects and physical or social systems prove to be related in manifold ways. Although the most common relations are exposed in the sustainability framework, others have to be further elaborated by eventual users to fully take into account the specificities of the various fields of engineering. Based in part on the framework, a novel systemic definition of sustainable development is also proposed. This definition brings forward a new perspective along which the relevance of the principles can be examined. Finally, applications of the sustainability framework in engineering practice and engineering education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2001, the International Institute of Women in Engineering (IIWE) at EPF, Ecole d'ingenieurs generaliste, Sceaux, France, has conducted a 3 week short course for culturally and discipline diverse, recently graduated and final year engineering students. The aim of this course is to introduce young engineers to broad global concepts and issues relating to their future professional practice, through intercultural learning. The initial course programme provided examples of engineering practices in various countries throughout the world. However, to achieve an intercultural, multidisciplinary learning outcome, a specific course theme and a project focussing on sustainable engineering and the inclusion of a variety of industrial visits were introduced in 2006. This paper will discuss the success of the strategies used to engage international students in the IIWE course activities, and after consideration of the results of participant surveys, the curriculum initiatives that followed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of the summary of papers published in the "Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Proceedings" in 2006 is presented. It includes "Virtual service: a new way to volunteer," "Management of rural water services in sub-Saharan Africa," and "Stress-lamination: utilising low-grade timber in construction."

The author discusses the challenges in engineering sustainability which include the increasing infrastructure loading due to urbanisation and population growth, growing societal complexity and reducing society's reserve capacity for infrastructure investment. He highlights the need for engineers to have a broad understanding of engineering sustainability. The author also notes debates in fracking, risk of earthquakes in buildings and contamination of water supply.