Emergence and Evolution of Humanitarian Engineering Education in Australia

Ellen Lynch; Jeremy Ingle Smith

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Ethical and Global Concerns
Tagged Division: Liberal Education/Engineering & Society
Page Count: 13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34521
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34521
Download Count: 483

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Paper Authors

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Ellen Lynch Australian National University

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Ellen Lynch is a PhD student at the Australian National University (ANU). She believes engineers are integral to creating inclusive, sustainable and prosperous societies. In her undergraduate studies she found a passion in Humanitarian Engineering and has begun to pursue research in the area. Her current research aims to understand how engineers empathise in their work and how they develop socio-technical skills.

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Jeremy Ingle Smith Australian National University

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A Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, Jeremy has worked on introducing a range of humanitarian engineering and service-learning projects into engineering undergraduate studies, covering both international and domestic opportunities. In 2015 he delivered the first later year dedicated humanitarian engineering course in Australia, supported by Engineers Without Borders Australia.

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Abstract

Engineers Australia’s Year of Humanitarian Engineering in 2011 played a pivotal role in increasing the visibility and presence of the term and field in Australia. In the tertiary education sector, dedicated programs, courses and academic positions have since been created to bring students’ attention to the field [1]. Simultaneously, the understanding of Humanitarian Engineering has been developing, aided by organisations working in disaster response and sustainable development such as RedR Australia and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB-A).

This paper charts the evolution of Humanitarian Engineering education in Australia over the last decade, moving from limited support, to recognition by the peak professional body, Engineers Australia, through a dedicated Community of Practice. Historical analysis of the development of Humanitarian Engineering in Australia has been completed to understand the driving forces behind the movement’s momentum, future challenges and direction.

Arguably, the Year of the Humanitarian Engineering created the platform for EWB-A and other organisations to extend into the tertiary education sector. EWB-A was the first to provide wide-scale educational opportunities through design challenges, overseas short-courses and research projects. By 2016, the first-year design-based EWB Challenge had been integrated into 86% of engineering programs in Australia [1], [2]. This encouraged universities to create specialized courses and programs in Humanitarian Engineering and has prompted the formation of organisations that provide Humanitarian Engineering education opportunities, such as Unbound, Project Everest and the Pollinate Group [3]–[5]. As a result, the Australian Council of Engineering Deans and Engineers Australia have recognized the value and importance of the field, providing support and a space for discussion of where the field and trained professionals fit within the engineering landscape [6].

One of the biggest challenges facing Humanitarian Engineering in Australia is the development of a unified definition or body of knowledge. It currently includes a wide range of locations and contexts internationally and locally, ranging from disaster response to sustainable development. This has created an opportunity for institutions and organisations to define their own understanding under the banner of Humanitarian Engineering. However, this creates challenges in establishing a widespread understanding of the field, potentially dividing the tertiary sector and creating confusion amongst students, industry and academia.

Through understanding the key developments and organisations involved in promoting and growing Humanitarian Engineering in Australia, these challenges can be identified and addressed to ensure continued growth and awareness.

References [1] J. Smith, B. Anderson, N. Brown, A. Colley, A. Stoakley, and J. Turner, “The rise of humanitarian engineering education in Australasia,” in 28th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2017), 2017, p. 312. [2] Engineers Australia, “Engineers Australia Accredited Programs,” 2019. [3] Unbound, “Innovative Overseas Education Programs.” [Online]. Available: https://www.unbound.edu.au/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019]. [4] Project Everest Ventures, “Home |Project Everest Ventures.” [Online]. Available: https://www.projecteverest.ventures/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019]. [5] Pollinate Group, “Student Fellowship Programs.” [Online]. Available: https://pollinategroup.org/fellowships/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019]. [6] Australian Council of Engineering Deans, “Position Statement Humanitarian Engineering Education Providing an opportunity for a new generation of engineers The Vision,” 2018.

Citation
Format

Lynch, E., & Smith, J. I. (2020, June), Emergence and Evolution of Humanitarian Engineering Education in Australia Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34521

TY - CPAPER
AB - Engineers Australia’s Year of Humanitarian Engineering in 2011 played a pivotal role in increasing the visibility and presence of the term and field in Australia. In the tertiary education sector, dedicated programs, courses and academic positions have since been created to bring students’ attention to the field [1]. Simultaneously, the understanding of Humanitarian Engineering has been developing, aided by organisations working in disaster response and sustainable development such as RedR Australia and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB-A).

This paper charts the evolution of Humanitarian Engineering education in Australia over the last decade, moving from limited support, to recognition by the peak professional body, Engineers Australia, through a dedicated Community of Practice. Historical analysis of the development of Humanitarian Engineering in Australia has been completed to understand the driving forces behind the movement’s momentum, future challenges and direction.

Arguably, the Year of the Humanitarian Engineering created the platform for EWB-A and other organisations to extend into the tertiary education sector. EWB-A was the first to provide wide-scale educational opportunities through design challenges, overseas short-courses and research projects. By 2016, the first-year design-based EWB Challenge had been integrated into 86% of engineering programs in Australia [1], [2]. This encouraged universities to create specialized courses and programs in Humanitarian Engineering and has prompted the formation of organisations that provide Humanitarian Engineering education opportunities, such as Unbound, Project Everest and the Pollinate Group [3]–[5]. As a result, the Australian Council of Engineering Deans and Engineers Australia have recognized the value and importance of the field, providing support and a space for discussion of where the field and trained professionals fit within the engineering landscape [6].

One of the biggest challenges facing Humanitarian Engineering in Australia is the development of a unified definition or body of knowledge. It currently includes a wide range of locations and contexts internationally and locally, ranging from disaster response to sustainable development. This has created an opportunity for institutions and organisations to define their own understanding under the banner of Humanitarian Engineering. However, this creates challenges in establishing a widespread understanding of the field, potentially dividing the tertiary sector and creating confusion amongst students, industry and academia.

Through understanding the key developments and organisations involved in promoting and growing
Humanitarian Engineering in Australia, these challenges can be identified and addressed to ensure continued growth and awareness.

References
[1] J. Smith, B. Anderson, N. Brown, A. Colley, A. Stoakley, and J. Turner, “The rise of humanitarian engineering education in Australasia,” in 28th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2017), 2017, p. 312.
[2] Engineers Australia, “Engineers Australia Accredited Programs,” 2019.
[3] Unbound, “Innovative Overseas Education Programs.” [Online]. Available: https://www.unbound.edu.au/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019].
[4] Project Everest Ventures, “Home |Project Everest Ventures.” [Online]. Available: https://www.projecteverest.ventures/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019].
[5] Pollinate Group, “Student Fellowship Programs.” [Online]. Available: https://pollinategroup.org/fellowships/. [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019].
[6] Australian Council of Engineering Deans, “Position Statement Humanitarian Engineering Education Providing an opportunity for a new generation of engineers The Vision,” 2018.
AU - Ellen Lynch
AU - Jeremy Ingle Smith
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Emergence and Evolution of Humanitarian Engineering Education in Australia
UR - https://peer.asee.org/34521
DO - 10.18260/1-2--34521
ER -