Engineers Without Borders In-Canada Engineering Educational Programming - Case Study of Two Projects

The 21st century brings a number of opportunities and challenges that require the innovative capacity of the engineering profession. Many of these challenges and opportunities are shaped by globalization, which has impacts on how the engineering profession is educated and ultimately practices. Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) has recently completed the development of two projects that enable engineering students to develop skills for engineering practice in a globalized world These projects are based on ‘complementary learning outcomes’-areas that complement CEAB outcomes while providing a 21st century perspective. The first project is a final year technical elective focused on enabling electrical engineering students to combine the skills they have learned in other courses with complementary 21st included the application of systems thinking to engineering problems, sustainability and its relation to electrical engineering, and globalization and its impacts on engineering practice. The outcome of this course is to expand their ability to practice in a globalized world. EWB’s second program is a certificate that is aimed at recognizing students who develop 21st century skills throughout their education through curricular and co-curricular engagement. For curricular measurement, the certificate offers a framework to determine which courses enable the development of 21st century skills. The co-curricular component applies best practices for leadership evaluation from a number of institutions worldwide to effectively measure a student’s leadership experiences. The certificate both serves to encourage students to explore unique educational and leadership opportunities while also to recognize students who have invested their time in developing 21st century skills.