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[Work in Progress] Decolonizing humanitarian engineering education to achieve locally led development: Methods and strategies for Colombia and beyond.

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Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

Lightning Talk - Empowering Students and Strengthening Community Relationships

Tagged Division

Community Engagement Division (COMMENG)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

19

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/55333

Paper Authors

biography

Juan C. Lucena Colorado School of Mines

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Juan Lucena is Professor and Director of Humanitarian Engineering Undergraduate Programs at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Juan obtained a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies (STS) from Virginia Tech and a MS in STS and BS in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering fro

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Abstract

Engineering for Good (E4G) programs have grown in the US for more than 20 years and exist in different forms such as majors, minors, certificates, courses, projects, field trips, study abroad opportunities, EWB-type volunteering activities, etc. One of the most salient challenges that these programs face is building relationships with communities and universities abroad that are long-lasting, trusting, effective, reciprocal for all parties, and attentive to local contexts. Often, E4G programs enter into projects with communities abroad without fully understanding the context (historical, political, institutional, cultural, etc.), the diversity of stakeholders, the complexities within and among communities, the full dimensions of the opportunities available, and the unintended consequences of assumptions, tools, and engagement practices involved. Using a case study of Humanitarian Engineering in Colombia (with the understanding that it needs to be modified for different contexts and countries), this paper will outline a model for relationship building abroad that includes 1) understanding the reasons for and assessing both site selection and stakeholder choice; 2) methods for relationship building that take into account institutional and organizational differences; 3) what to expect in non-US engineering education environments and how to adjust conceptually and methodologically to these differences; and 4) how to fund, support, and maintain these relationships in the long term. By providing an exemplary model for engineering-community relationship building, this work aims at contributing to the evolution and maturing of E4G programs.

Lucena, J. C. (2025, June), [Work in Progress] Decolonizing humanitarian engineering education to achieve locally led development: Methods and strategies for Colombia and beyond. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55333

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