Transforming Engineering Education: For Technological Innovation and Social Development

Abstract

Engineering, and engineering education, drive innovation, social, cultural and economic development, and are vital in addressing global challenges such as sustainability, climate change and poverty and the other UN Millennium Development Goals. This chapter examines the urgent need for innovation and transformation amid changing modes of knowledge production, dissemination and application, and to counter declining interest, enrolment and retention in engineering education, the shortage of engineers reported in many countries, brain drain of engineers from developing countries and consequent impact on development. Student-centred, project- and problem-based learning (PBL) plays an important role in this process, together with an emphasis on humanitarian engineering and technology – combining fun and fundamentals, and the need for engineering to be seen as a major factor in development and addressing global issues and challenges. The chapter emphasises the need to develop engineering studies, policy and planning to support and facilitate this process.