Engineering,Ethics and Professionalism

This paper addresses the changing role of engineers in industry and society with specific reference to the increasing environmental pressures on industry. Sustainable development, as discussed widely since the Brundtland Report in 1987, provides a broad framework for environmental activities in industry. The intended move—worldwide—towards sustainable development involves engineering in the key role of designing and managing ‘Clean Technology’, i.e. of technological systems which are less harmful, more efficient and socially as well as environmentally acceptable. The paper examines the extent to which professional engineers can work and achieve sustainable development within their professional roles and considers their roles and responsibilities involved in such a move. Special emphasis is given to the role of creativity, ethics and the demand for professionalism in the changing roles of engineers. The examination of the ethical and professional issues identified is used together with the observed changes in industrial systems and engineering roles to determine new educational needs of those engineers driving future developments in industry.     

A Pedagogical Strategy for Gradual Enhancement of Creative Performance of the Students

The objective of this paper is to describe a pedagogical strategy for gradual enhancement of creative performance among students by using interdisciplinary hands-on projects. A study was conducted comparing 66 students' performances on creativity in three classes—Fall 1996, Spring 1997 and Fall 1997—consisting of juniors and seniors at Temple University. All the students were tested on the creative opportunities actually taught by the projects presented to the students, theoretical aspects of creativity on a specially designed test and the learning process. The results of evaluation on the creativity of the models, the theory tests and the learning process indicated that the pedagogical strategy did help in gradually enhancing the creativity performance of the students.     

MacIntyre's Revolutionary Aristotelian Philosophy and his Idea of an Educated Public Revisited

In this article I revisit MacIntyre's lecture on the idea of an educated public. I argue that the full significance of MacIntyre's views on the underlying purposes of universities only become clear when his lecture on the educated public is situated in the context of his wider ‘revolutionary Aristotelian’ philosophical project. I claim that for MacIntyre educational institutions should both support students to learn how to think for themselves and act for the common good. After considering criticisms from Putnam, Wain and Harris I conclude that MacIntyre's later work points towards an idea of educated ‘community’ that is more outward looking and open to difference than his earlier articulated idea of an educated ‘public’.     

The Netherlands Engineering Education: Within the Framework of the Dutch Educational System

The basic outlines of the European engineering educational systems are presented in the SEFI guide 1990. This article contains further detailed information on the characteristic elements of the two parallel systems which exist in the Netherlands. Attention is given to the common elements of both systems and to the points where they differ. The entrance qualifications of the enrolling students, the role of the government and the impact of the relations with industry are briefly reported.