Claudio da Rocha Brito

A program designed to empower engineering educators

Utilizing emerging technologies to provide expanded learning opportunities is critical to the success of future generations. So teachers have to be prepared to motivate and entice the students about getting knowledge pertinent for their formation as engineers. This paper describes the International Engineering Educator developed by the engineering education research team of COPEC - Science and Education Research Council. It is offered by the International Institute of Education of COPEC, which is a certification organization in accordance with the Ministry of Education of the Country referring to the National Law of Higher Education. It also offers a professional register as International Engineering Educator of the International Society for Engineering Pedagogy for those who are interested in such certification as something else. The target attendees for this program are the engineering community of CPLP - Community of Portuguese Language Countries. It is successful and many interested professionals are attending the program.

Social-technological issues: Sustainable Engineering practice

The French School of Engineering implemented under Napoleon governance formed the “Mr. Engineer” that prepared leaders with high profile of technical knowledge. Even after the globalization phenomenon, with all the discussions about introducing humanistic courses in engineering programs, the results are humble. There is still a difficulty for engineers to address technology to solve social issues rather than to apply technology regardless social needs. The other point is that the design of a project now for the “informed society” has to take into account the social impacts as well as the environmental. So the question is the engineering school preparing the future engineer to perform in the new challenging social environment? If it is possible to suggest some actions the key is to prepare the future engineers to learn how to work close to the communities and the governments, addressing the outcomes of the projects to solve sociotechnological problems.

Frontiers of engineering: Opportunity and challenges

Western world is presently immersed in a spiral of challenging economical environment where globalization allied with technological achievements are shaping completely new work relations as well as personal. The era after the Bologna Process in Europe is now about to graduate a global engineer, and not only the European engineer. Motivated teachers inspire students to pursue the success in the profession. The teacher is a key element in the formation of any professional. The quality of an engineering program depends not only on good labs, libraries and etc but also the teachers qualification as educators too and not only as engineers. No matter the field of expertise civil, electronic, chemical, environmental it is more and more evident the importance of engineering sciences applications in the global world. This paper has the objective to discuss and propose issues for reflections on the formation of engineering teachers in present challenging academic community.

Human side of engineering: Dealing with complex and ethical challenges

The globalization phenomenon that started in the second half of the 20th Century has instigated in scientists, educators and some politicians worldwide the search for sustainable development with social promotion of individuals and society. It is one of the key elements for the surviving of human kind on earth. It is not only a matter of environmental issues that need to be solved but also the social aspects of the mutant world that contemporary society is living in the 21st. Century. It is the application of science to help society to reach the goal of achieving the same level of development as the technological. Sustainability has become an important aspect for any project development. Engineering is the key factor that drives the development of present society and so it can add to the discussions of social goals no matter the community. Many educational institutions are addressing this new demand for the formation of engineers and developing programs that include sociology and practical experiences in loco. The results are very humble however this can not discourage the initiatives. It is important to keep searching for ways to enhance social awareness in the students of engineering programs.

Engineering education in countries of portuguese language

The Portuguese-speaking countries are home to more than 240 million people located across the globe but having cultural similarities and a shared history. The CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) nations have a combined area of about 10,742,000 square kilometers (4,148,000 sq. mi), which is larger than Canada. The proposal of this paper is to show and discuss with some details how engineering education is developed in countries of Portuguese languages due to the peculiarities in the historic development of the countries.