Integrating the global dimension in engineering education : experiences from a collaborative project

Abstract

The ‘Global Dimension in Engineering Education’ (GDEE) network is an initiative that aims to increase the awareness, critical understanding and attitudinal values of undergraduates and postgraduates students in universities across Europe related to Sustainable Human Development (SHD) and its relationship with technology. This is being dealt with by integrating SHD as a cross-cutting issue in teaching activities by improving the competences of academics and through engaging both staff and students in initiatives related to SHD. The GDEE started as a collaborative project between a consortium of European Universities and NGOs. The chapter presents a common understanding of how best to establish effective education for global development, and presents a pedagogical approach to facilitate the connection between theoretical knowledge (lecturers and students from universities) with practice (through NGOs). It discusses this approach through the analysis of case studies of best practice from those already working in this area within higher education across Europe. It concludes with the presentation of a continued professional development (CPD) approach for academics that uses a series of online training courses, with support from a series of contextual case studies written by NGOs to support teaching human development within engineering courses.