Perspectives on engineering education in universities and its contribution to sustainable human development in Germany and South Africa

[摘要] English: Most literature on higher education and engineering education in particular, is based on datagathered from the global North, written from global North perspectives. Comparatively fewstudies focus on normative accounts of education for sustainable development based on datafrom developing countries, and written from global South perspectives. While there is valuein exploring views from different contexts separately, what is original and significant aboutthe work of this thesis is the examination of these perspectives together, combining anormative approach with original empirical work, and recognising that they are differentoutlooks on the same issue: how engineering education in universities contributes tosustainable human development. Instead of dichotomising global North/South perspectives,the thesis combines the views of individuals whose teaching and learning, higher educationand/or professional careers in engineering have taken place in the global North (Germany)and global South (South Africa) for its empirical base. Specifically, the viewpoints of 18masters students and 10 lecturers from engineering faculties at Universität Bremen(Germany) and the University of Cape Town (South Africa), as well as 10 engineeringemployers from both countries, were explored using qualitative methods (semi-structuredinterviews and focus group discussions). The research questions addressed in this thesis relateto how engineering education in universities enlarges the capabilities of engineeringgraduates, so that they might become agents of sustainable human development.The perspectives, often surprisingly similar across the two countries, offer contrasting andcritical views on the assumption that society is in pursuit of an agenda for 'sustainability' thatis valuable for all, and of future engineers' roles in determining such an agenda. The findingsalso show that the participants perceive degrees of ambiguity about the extent to whichengineers are educated to use their skills, knowledge, and effective power as professionalswho contribute to solving human development and sustainability challenges in a just way.That is, in a way that explicitly prioritises poverty reduction and advances social justice.Reflecting on these perspectives from Germany and South Africa, the thesis considers whatjustice-based, capability-inspired engineering education might look like, if it is to enhancefuture engineers' opportunities to use their agency to practice public-good engineering forhuman development.

[发布机构] University of the Free State