SYNERGY OF HUMANISTIC, ECOCENTRIC, COSMOPOLITAN, AND HOLISTIC ENGINEERING APPROACHES FOR REVISING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Abstract

To comprehend the growing challenges faced by engineers, it is necessary to comprehensively examine humanistic, ecocentric, cosmopolitan, and holistic engineering approaches. This article aims to fulfill this need by providing descriptive and practical features of these approaches in various fields. The research takes an applied and developmental approach, aligning with the objective, employs a descriptive and qualitative analysis method, and adopts a comparative approach based on the nature of the data. The analysis reveals that addressing complex engineering problems necessitates the synergy of these perspectives. Furthermore, a fundamental revision of engineering education is essential to incorporate a holistic approach that aligns with sustainable development goals, promotes social ethics and responsibility, balances technical and humanistic/ecocentric perspectives, and cultivates global and cultural competencies in engineering pedagogy. Apart from technical solutions, the social, ethical, and ecological dimensions of engineering challenges must be considered. Vital for preparing engineers to tackle local and global challenges are environmental and social education, experiential and social learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, case studies, and international experiences. These approaches enable engineering students to develop a deeper understanding of diverse issues and equip future engineers with the requisite knowledge and skills to design and implement innovative, environmentally conscious, and culturally sustainable solutions

Keywords

• humanistic engineering
• ecocentric engineering
• cosmopolitan engineering
• holistic engineering
• sustainable development