Engineering Education and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The professional practice of electrical engineers is not limited solely to technical solutions, calculations, and design activities; rather, it requires the integration of considerations related to public health, safety, socio-economic factors, environmental impacts, and sustainable development into engineers’ daily activities, planning, and decision-making processes (ENAEE, 2015). Accordingly, electrical engineering education should extend beyond traditional technical knowledge and skills to foster professional ethics, effective communication, and the capacity for lifelong learning, as these competencies constitute fundamental prerequisites for engineers’ contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (IEEE, 2020; UNESCO, 2017).
 Sustainable development is defined as a development process that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and this concept has become a foundational principle underlying contemporary engineering solutions and policymaking (WCED, 1987). Therefore, aligning electrical engineering education with the Sustainable Development Goals is essential for preparing engineers capable of evaluating technological advancements in the energy sector, infrastructure, and industrial enterprises within the context of long-term environmental, ecological, and socio-economic impacts.
 This study highlights the importance of integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into electrical engineering education and emphasizes the necessity of assessing engineering solutions from the perspective of their long-term socio-economic and environmental sustainability.