Modeling Humanizing Education Through Newly Reviewed Materials Engineering Curriculum

In line with the current global focus on sustainability and the well-being of the planet, becoming a professional engineer nowadays requires more than simple mastery of technical skills. Considering that engineers are required to have a deep sense of responsibility not only for humankind but also for the environment, engineering education and practices must be reformed substantially to prepare engineers that will contribute to sustainable development. This necessitates updating conventional engineering programs (CEE) to incorporate Humanizing Engineering Education (HEE). Although HEE is an old practice of individual engineers and other organizations outside the academic field, it is relatively new in academic engineering. While the definition of what truly merits being considered HEE remains debatable, many engineers believe that their work involves a humanitarian aspect. To streamline the development of HEE, there is a need for developing guidelines and frameworks for a comprehensive model. Ideally, that framework should integrate humanizing pedagogy in the new curriculum design. The objective of the paper is to share the experience of the authors in designing a new curriculum for a Materials Engineering Programme (MEP) that is embedded with Humanitarian Engineering (HE), which is among the main elements of HEE. Data collection was through interviews, qualitative surveys, reports from the stakeholders, accreditation bodies and benchmarking with other Higher Learning Institutions (HLI). An extensive scholarly literature review was executed to identify shortcomings in CEE and how it could be reformed by integrating it with HEE. The Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF); a strategic framework for academic programmes developed by the university, was used as a reference to customize MEP to better meet students’ needs. Since the proposed model applies a new emerging concept, it inevitably raises challenges related to different levels of understanding among course implementers and perceptions of external stakeholders. Moreover, the developers had to consider the limitations imposed by the university's policies and structures while acknowledging the availability of finite resources (i.e. time, money, equipment, and expertise).

Engineering Students’ Concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and Their Identity Development as Humanitarian Engineers

Humanitarian Engineering extends engineering practice to provide a focus on addressing social inequities and contributing to sustainable development for all. This study investigated undergraduate engineering students’ concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and motives to be Humanitarian Engineers as they acquire knowledge and skills and build a professional identity as engineers who can work in complex socio-technical sustainability contexts. Qualitative data were collected from an open-ended survey of 46 engineering students followed by semi-structured interviews with ten students at a U.S. university. Survey data provided individual characteristics that conceptualized and guided interviews to explore key relationships among participants’ concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and motivations. A central idea of a “Humanitarian Engineer” identity emerged, influenced by various motivations. Students envisioning themselves as Humanitarian Engineers were associated with socio-cultural background, motivation to practice engineering skills, and desire to travel. A value-related motivation, the desire to help others, appeared as a strong catalyst for developing students’ professional identities and empowering a possible future self as Humanitarian Engineers. To support sustainability education in engineering demands, initial motivation factors associated with student Humanitarian Engineer identity development are researched to support potential future practice and career development.

Humanitarian energy interventions: the need and opportunities for systematic decision-making

This briefing paper highlights the potential benefits of humanitarian decision-making tools through the application of a decision support tool developed as part of the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement (HEED) project led by Coventry University in partnership with Practical Action and Scene Connect. HEED draws upon social science and engineering expertise to better understand energy needs and identify solutions which produce socio-technical systems that encourage community resilience and capacity building.

Climate change and hydrological risk in the Pacific: a Humanitarian Engineering perspective

Pacific Island communities have adapted to floods, droughts and cyclones over many generations. Small and low-lying islands are particularly exposed to natural disasters, and many countries have limited access to water resources. Anthropogenic climate change is expected to further increase these environmental pressures. Any associated engineering response needs to consider the cultural, societal and historical context, and prioritise the agency of local communities to determine their preferred outcomes. It follows that Humanitarian Engineering, a discipline centred around strengths-based and context-appropriate solutions, has an important role to play in climate change adaptation. In this review, the interplay between hydroclimatology, geography and water security in the Pacific Islands is described and projected climate shifts summarised to highlight future adaptation challenges. A key source of uncertainty relates to the dynamics of two convergence zones that largely drive weather patterns. A broad overview of societal factors that present challenges and opportunities for Humanitarian Engineers is given. Finally, actions are recommended to inform climate change adaptation given the scientific uncertainty around hydrologic risks, and outline lessons for best practice Humanitarian Engineering in the Pacific. Enhancing data sharing, building resilience to climate variability and integrating traditional knowledge with convention engineering methods should be key areas of focus.

LEISURE OF STUDENT YOUTH: RESULTS OF MONITORING RESEARCH

The article presents the results of the eighth stage of monitoring the socio-cultural development of youth. It has been carried out for over 25 years under the guidence of Yu. R. Vishnevsky. The sample size of the last stage consisted of 2,000 third-year students of intramural studies at the universities of the Middle Urals. Quota parameters are gender and study programs of respondents (humanitarian, engineering, socio-economic and natural sciences). The purpose of the article is to record the changes that have occurred in the structure of students leisure activities since 2016. The sample of 2016 is compiled by the same principles, n = 1,827. The theoretical part of the article reviews approaches to defining the concept of leisure, its types and main factors that affect the structure of preferences when choosing leisure activities. The results of the article include the dynamics of student interest in leisure activities for the period from 1995 to 2020. An increase in the number of leisure activities per respondent was revealed, as well as an increase in interest in activities related to digital technologies. A decrease in interest was noted in active forms of leisure such as tourism, outings, sports. Interest in leisure activities related to social interaction, both in direct and indirect form, remains. The close attention is paid to the comparison of data from 2016 and 2020, since it was during these years that the most complete range of students’ activities was formed. The influence of the respondent’s gender on the choice of leisure activities has been also analyzed. The respondents have been grouped according to several classifications of leisure. Based on the classifications, an interest in recreational activities and the preservation of the recreational function of leisure are noted.