SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTISE FOR ENGINEERS

The competency goals of higher education degrees in technology must include skills required for building a sustainable world including, but not limited to, the following themes.

⚬  Climate change, biodiversity loss and over-consumption of natural resources;

⚬  Social responsibility, human rights and dignified life; and

⚬  History and philosophy, especially from a technology ethics point of view.

Higher education in technology must prepare students to face uncertainty, imperfection and compromise. Current engineering education treats the world in black and white: natural sciences see everything as either right or wrong. The impacts of different alternative solutions must be understood better than currently.

LET’S MAKE STUDENTS EXPERTS IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Traditionally, engineering education has also included strong integrations of economic perspectives. But as our society shifts to circular economy, linear economy models are quickly becoming outdated know-how. Circular economy is a new economic system that requires comprehensive change in thinking. It is more complicated than the current system and assimilating it requires a considerable amount of time. Studies are the best time to shape new ways of thinking.

Circular economy awareness will be emphasised further in a society battered by COVID-19. The availability of raw materials is declining in the current economic system. Crises in production can be avoided by moving to circular economy with closed loop material circulation as far as feasible. At the same time, circular economy strengthens society’s resilience against shocks that can be caused by changes in weather caused by climate change, pandemics and global financial crises, among other things. Circular economic model’s greater complexity further emphasises the role of the field of technology: we cannot deploy circular economy without the help of digitalization, such as design supported by artificial intelligence and platforms for circular economy markets.

Recommended frameworks for approaching the subject: circular economy value chains, the role of digitalisation in circular economy, Circular Design Guide

THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN BUILDING SOCIETY

In addition to the ambitious goals of the Finnish Government, the European Union has made many successful choices focusing in sustainable development as a central strategy for the region. Especially when it comes to circular economy and carbon neutrality, the goals set by the EU are unmatched globally. The decisions for developing our shared continent have already been made. The higher education sector must support this trend by providing relevant education because it is the most significant way to have an impact.

In addition to the basis presented previously, our demands have a solid financial foundation. As the delicate environmental ecosystem experiences worsening symptoms due to the climate crisis, it is obvious that sooner or later all countries will strive for sustainability. Being a pioneer and a leader in sustainable technology solutions also serves financial goals. This is strongly agreed upon among political parties, labour unions as well as economic life.

Recommended frameworks: EU Green Deal, EU Circular Economy Strategy, Marin’s Government Programme, Akava’s climate policies, climate policies of the Confederation of Finnish Industries

MULTIDISCIPLINARY COOPERATION IS A PREREQUISITE FOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Humanity has driven itself and our living environment to the current crisis with the help of technology, and at the same time the solution for these crises lean on technological solutions. We can no longer afford to make the kind of short-sighted technological choices we have made thus far. Engineering education must ensure students are able to assess the suitability of technological solutions in comprehensive multidisciplinary cooperation in order to ensure the simultaneous realisation of financial, social and ecological sustainability.

We are happy to proudly salute the professional pride of engineers, but we cannot underestimate other scientific disciplines. Cooperation between disciplines is a prerequisite for finding optimal and sustainable results and therefore engineering studies should be conducted in multidisciplinary environments, analysing and solving complex problems. Research and teaching staff must also increase interdisciplinary cooperation and the higher education institutions’ internal fund distribution models must encourage this.

Versatility within the field of technology also requires improvements in order to ensure that we keep broadening our horizons. We need students with as diverse backgrounds and value bases as possible. At the same time, the study culture of the field of technology must enable participation and cohesion for all. This requires action both on part of the universities as well as the student communities.

Recommended frameworks for approaching the subject: UN Sustainable Development Goals, complexity theory, Cynefin, Double-loop learning

FROM UNIVERSITIES’ SUSTAINABILITY TALK TO ACTIONS

Listening to speeches, it is easy to imagine that universities are already systematically working for sustainable development. However, the sustainability focus of universities’ strategies is not visible in daily life on campuses. All universities must take sustainability challenges as a genuine strategic focus.

In the field of technology, there is robust cooperation with companies even in teaching, but often attitudes in relation to the enterprise partners are entirely uncritical. Providing concrete examples of the studied subjects via business cases is valuable, but it must be balanced by giving a voice to civil society, such as environmental organizations. Including organizations with different perspectives ensures a more equal approach and enables creating a highly comprehensive general view.