Can Community Development Projects in Engineering Education Be Both Responsible and Sustainable?: Theory, Education, and Praxis

Abstract

Can Community Development Projects in Engineering Education Be Both Responsible and Sustainable?: Theory, Education, and PraxisThis paper outlines the relationships between students, socio-technical systems, resilient communities, and community development projects in engineering education, focusing on how students can become socially responsible and projects deliver sustainable community development.Using artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) as an area of application for engineering students involved in community development, the paper first describes the characteristics that communities should exhibit and what they should expect of engineers in order to achieve community resiliency.Second, it outlines criteria that engineering students should adopt as behavioral guidelines in order to act in a socially responsible way.Third, it describes criteria that engineering projects should have in order to contribute to sustainable community development.Fourth, it describes the integration of these two set of criteria in the engineering curriculum in order to develop conceptual understanding and practical skills that engineering students can apply when engaging communities.Finally, it concludes with lessons learned from this criteria development and curricular integration for engineering educators committed to educating students to become socially responsible engineers and making their projects both socially just and sustainable for communities.

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