Sustainability thinking in the paradigm of electrical/electronic engineering: Concept and relevance

Abstract

Sustainability thinking plays a vital role for achieving a shift in environmental, economic, social and technical sustainability. Education has also been identified as an essential tool for achieving a sustainable future and improving the capacity of people to address sustainability issues which are inextricably tied to sustainable development. However, engineering curricula in Nigerian polytechnics is found to be deficient in terms of skills, knowledge and values in sustainability and its associated contexts/derivatives. This study therefore, investigated the perceptions of electrical/electronic engineering experts from academia and industry on the concept of sustainability and relevance of sustainability thinking in engineering education in Nigerian polytechnics. A qualitative approach was used in data collection through interview with experts in electrical/electronic engineering from both academia and industry. Findings showed that the participants clearly demonstrated an adequate understanding of the concept of sustainability thinking in line with the various United Nation’s report on sustainable development. They have also shown divergent views on the notion of sustainability thinking, and have advanced strong reasons for why integrating sustainability thinking in engineering curricula is inevitable. Responses are generally in line with the global reasons for re-orienting engineering curricula. But planet’s catastrophe are evidently on the increase in the Nigerian society, which suggests the need for incorporating sustainability thinking in engineering programmes as a new paradigm for sustainable development, to help curb out the menaces.