Engineering Skills And Competences For A More Sustainable World

In 2015, the member states of the United Nations agreed that the ideal vision of the world should be achieved by 2030. Halfway through the efforts to reach that vision, and considering the environmental issues we are surrounded by, the need for Higher Education to further incorporate sustainability topics into the curriculum is noticeable. This paper presents the outcomes of the research through which we aim to make an impact on Higher Education institutions and the ways they are educating and raising awareness on sustainability-related topics. It presents an analysis of the data collected through a survey and focus groups, organised with the students from 63 technical universities all across Europe, in total counting 226 responses. The paper points out the relevance of engineering education on environmental sustainability in today\u27s rapidly changing, modern world. It also identifies the sustainability-related topics that should be incorporated into the curriculum. Further, it points out different engineering skills and competences needed for a more sustainable world and the ways in which they can be obtained. Some of the skills highlighted as the most important ones are: communication, time management and critical thinking. The results show a critical imbalance between the practical and theoretical parts of engineering education. It reflects on the possibilities of implementing modern teaching and learning methods, in order to create a more sustainable mindset in engineering, thus making the learning process more engaging and accessible