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

Abstract

English: Most literature on higher education and engineering education in particular, is based on data gathered from the global North, written from global North perspectives. Comparatively few studies focus on normative accounts of education for sustainable development based on data from developing countries, and written from global South perspectives. While there is value in exploring views from different contexts separately, what is original and significant about the work of this thesis is the examination of these perspectives together, combining a normative approach with original empirical work, and recognising that they are different outlooks on the same issue: how engineering education in universities contributes to sustainable human development. Instead of dichotomising global North/South perspectives, the thesis combines the views of individuals whose teaching and learning, higher education and/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 18 masters students and 10 lecturers from engineering faculties at Universität Bremen (Germany) and the University of Cape Town (South Africa), as well as 10 engineering employers from both countries, were explored using qualitative methods (semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions). The research questions addressed in this thesis relate to how engineering education in universities enlarges the capabilities of engineering graduates, so that they might become agents of sustainable human development. The perspectives, often surprisingly similar across the two countries, offer contrasting and critical views on the assumption that society is in pursuit of an agenda for ‘sustainability’ that is valuable for all, and of future engineers’ roles in determining such an agenda. The findings also show that the participants perceive degrees of ambiguity about the extent to which engineers are educated to use their skills, knowledge, and effective power as professionals who 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 what justice-based, capability-inspired engineering education might look like, if it is to enhance future engineers’ opportunities to use their agency to practice public-good engineering for human development.

Afrikaans: Die meeste literatuur oor ingenieurswese opvoeding is gebaseer op data ingesamel vanaf die globale Noordelike perspektiewe. Daar is relatief min studies wat hul aandag fokus op normatiewe weergawes van die globale Suide rakende ingenieurswese uitkomste, ingenieurswese opvoeding hervorming, of ingenieurswese opvoeding vir volhoubare ontwikkeling. In ʼn poging om ryker, meer genuanseerde weergawes van hierdie kwessies te bied, kombineer hierdie tesis die perspektiewe van individue wie se onderwys, leer of professionele loopbane in ingenieurswese in die globale Noorde (Duitsland) en die globale Suide (Suid-Afrika) plaasgevind het. Meer spesifiek, die tesis ondersoek, beskryf en stel naas mekaar die perspektiewe van 18 meesters studente en 10 dosente van ingenieursfakulteite aan die Universiteit van Bremen (Duitsland) en die Universiteit van Kaapstad (Suid-Afrika), sowel as 10 ingenieur werksverskaffers van beide lande. Kwalitatiewe metodes (semigestruktureerde onderhoude en fokus groep besprekings) is gebruik om data in te samel wat die empiriese basis van die tesis vorm. Die navorsingsvrae aangespreek in hierdie tesis kyk hoe ingenieurswese opvoeding in universiteite geleenthede vir ingenieurs vergroot om as agente vir volhoubare menslike ontwikkeling te funksioneer, asook hoe die waarde van volhoubare ontwikkeling aangespreek word in die kurrikula en pedagogiese ordening wat ingenieurswese programme in internasionale kontekste karakteriseer. Die perspektiewe bied kontrasterende en kritiese sieninge oor die aanname dat die samelewing ʼn ‘volhoubaarheidsagenda’ nastreef wat waardevol vir almal is, asook toekomstige ingenieurs se rolle om so ʼn agenda te bewerkstellig. Die perspektiewe bied ook genuanseerde begrippe van die uitdagings wat universiteite in die gesig staar om ingenieurs op te lei wat hul vaardighede, kennis en effektiewe mag as professionele individue kan gebruik om uitdagings rakende menslike ontwikkeling en volhoubaarheid in ʼn geregtelike manier aan te spreek. Dit is, op ʼn manier wat eksplisiet armoede bevegting en sosiale geregtigheid prioritiseer en bevorder. Die tesis oorweeg die implikasies van hierdie perspektiewe deur die lens van die vermoënsbenadering en menslike ontwikkeling paradigma om sodoende te illustreer hoe ingenieurswese opvoeding potensieel kan lyk as dit toekomstige ingenieurs se agentskap ontwikkel om volhoubare menslike ontwikkeling ten goede van die gemeenskap te bevorder.