International Perspectives on Engineering Education

Abstract

We live today in a world progressively in the process of becoming an engineered artifact. We engineer not only roads and buildings but communication systems and biologies. In such a world, thinking about engineering is increasingly important – and yet incredibly diffi cult. Among themselves, engineers are continuously trying to fi gure out what and who they are: skilled workers, project managers, applied scientists, designers, entre-preneurs, and more. Additionally, there are a host of competing interests that would enroll engineering for their purposes: military interests, nation-building interests, commercial interests, social interests, environmental interests, and more. Finally, multiple disciplines attempt to take the measure of engineers and engineering: history, sociology, philosophy, and more.