Practices, knowledge and values. Teaching Technology for Human Development to engineering students

Abstract

Technology is gaining ever - more attention in international development strategies, together with networking and local capacity building. The concept of Technology for Human Development (THD), deeply grounded in the Human Development perspective, is emerging as an approach that captures the great contributions of technology in a sustainable manner, and is gradually taking over the Appropriate Technology concept. The promotion of THD is exemplified by presenting two interconnected cases: the Education for Development (ED) program of Engineering without Borders Spain (ISF - Spain) and the Promoting ED program of the Civil Engineering School of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). The two cases, applied at national and local levels, respectively, illustrate how THD may be furthered in practice and how two different actors, a Development Nongovernmental Organisation (DNGO) and a Civil Engineering School, can partner up and cr eate synergies to implement THD programs