IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i8p2605-d159854.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Building a More Sustainable Society? A Case Study on the Role of Sustainable Development in the Education and Early Career of Water and Environmental Engineers

Author

Listed:
  • Anu Vehmaa

    (Water and Environmental Engineering, Department of Built Environment, School of Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, 00076 Aalto, Finland)

  • Meeri Karvinen

    (Water and Environmental Engineering, Department of Built Environment, School of Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, 00076 Aalto, Finland)

  • Marko Keskinen

    (Water and Environmental Engineering, Department of Built Environment, School of Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, 00076 Aalto, Finland)

Abstract

Engineering education is critical for sustainability, given the key role that engineers have in shaping the development of our society. Yet, engineering studies have traditionally not been driven by sustainability-related knowledge and skills, but focused more on general computational skills and technical problem-solving. This has also been the case in our case study, which focuses on recent water and environmental engineering graduates in Finland. We studied the role that sustainable development has had in their education and early career through an extensive questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done in two ways: indirectly by comparing how well the key working life knowledge and skills recognized by the respondents correspond with sustainability-related skills, and directly by studying the graduates’ views towards the sustainable development and their possibilities to advance it in their work. The results show that although sustainability was not at the core of respondents’ studies, their key competencies correspond well with sustainability-related working life skills. The respondents also see that sustainable development has a central role in water and environmental engineering, although it is typically more visible at a strategic rather than a practical level. However, the results also indicate that several early-career engineers have deficient knowledge of sustainable development, and are therefore lacking the ability to fully connect the principles of sustainable development into their own expertise. Overall, the findings suggest that water and environmental engineers with their wide set of competencies have the potential to take on a larger role in building a more sustainable society. To ensure this, engineering education should emphasize the connection between the field and sustainable development and clearly link engineers’ core competencies with the skills required to promote sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Anu Vehmaa & Meeri Karvinen & Marko Keskinen, 2018. "Building a More Sustainable Society? A Case Study on the Role of Sustainable Development in the Education and Early Career of Water and Environmental Engineers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2605-:d:159854
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2605/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2605/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andreja Istenic Starcic & Maja Terlevic & Lin Lin & Maja Lebenicnik, 2018. "Designing Learning for Sustainable Development: Digital Practices as Boundary Crossers and Predictors of Sustainable Lifestyles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, June.
    2. Luis Cabedo & Marta Royo & Lidón Moliner & Teresa Guraya, 2018. "University Social Responsibility towards Engineering Undergraduates: The Effect of Methodology on a Service-Learning Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Robert E. Levasseur, 2013. "People Skills: Developing Soft Skills—A Change Management Perspective," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 43(6), pages 566-571, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pavol Gejdoš & Ľubica Simanová & Helena Čierna & Erika Sujová & Jarmila Schmidtová, 2021. "Integration of Soft Skills of Graduates of the Technical University in Zvolen and Their Applicability in Slovak Business Environment. The Case Study," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2021(5), pages 21-36.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Higher Education Sustainability through Virtual Laboratories: The Spanish University as Case of Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Khadija El Kharki & Khalid Berrada & Daniel Burgos, 2021. "Design and Implementation of a Virtual Laboratory for Physics Subjects in Moroccan Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-28, March.
    3. Pavol Gejdoš & Ľubica Simanová & Helena Čierna & Erika Sujová & Jarmila Schmidtová, 2021. "Integration of Soft Skills of Graduates of the Technical University in Zvolen and Their Applicability in Slovak Business Environment. The Case Study," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2021(5), pages 21-36.
    4. Francisco Javier Robles Moral & Manuel Fernández Díaz, 2021. "Future Primary School Teachers’ Digital Competence in Teaching Science through the Use of Social Media," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Laura Hosman & Marcela Georgina Gómez Zermeño & Lorena Alemán de la Garza, 2020. "SolarSPELL Assessment: Impact of a Solar-Powered Digital Library as a Teaching-Learning Resource on Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-18, August.
    6. Yolanda Ruiz-Ordóñez & Amparo Salcedo-Mateu & Ángel Manuel Turbi-Pinazo & Carlos Novella-García & Carmen Moret-Tatay, 2020. "CASD-14: A Questionnaire on Civic Attitudes and Sustainable Development Values for Service-Learning in Early Adolescents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-11, May.
    7. Jeffrey D. Camm & Michael J. Fry & Jeffrey Shaffer, 2017. "A Practitioner’s Guide to Best Practices in Data Visualization," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 47(6), pages 473-488, December.
    8. Frenzel-Piasentin, Adeline & Glaser, Karoline & Toutaoui, Jonas & Veit, Daniel J., 2022. "'No Matter I’ll Be Selected; in the Next Challenge I Will Be Better!' – Understanding Non-Technical Skill Development in the Gig Economy," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 131889, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    9. Zaloa Aginako & Teresa Guraya, 2021. "Students’ Perception about Sustainability in the Engineering School of Bilbao (University of the Basque Country): Insertion Level and Importance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Said Machwate & Rachid Bendaoud & Juergen Henze & Khalid Berrada & Daniel Burgos, 2021. "Virtual Exchange to Develop Cultural, Language, and Digital Competencies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    11. Almudena Martínez-Campillo & María del Pilar Sierra-Fernández & Yolanda Fernández-Santos, 2019. "Service-Learning for Sustainability Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: What Is Its Global Impact on Business University Students?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-21, September.
    12. Libena Tetrevova & Jan Vavra & Simona Munzarova, 2021. "Communication of Socially-Responsible Activities by Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, January.
    13. Qi Zhang & Yubing Fan & Mingyang Zhang, 2018. "An Empirical Analysis of Students’ Involvement and Exit Behaviors in College Organizations: The Case of Nanjing Agricultural University in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-18, October.
    14. Elmeer Meeynard Calimpos & Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga & Dennis Madrigal, 2023. "Community Outreach Awareness, Involvement, Motivation, and Challenges in a Philippine Catholic Higher Education Institution," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 41(1), pages 344-361, March.
    15. Hsien-Ming Chou & Cheng-Wen Lee & Tsai-Lun Cho, 2022. "The Incorporation of Service-Learning into a Management Course: A Case Study of a Charity Thrift Store," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-22, June.
    16. Míriam Hernández-Barco & Jesús Sánchez-Martín & José Blanco-Salas & Trinidad Ruiz-Téllez, 2020. "Teaching Down to Earth —Service-Learning Methodology for Science Education and Sustainability at the University Level: A Practical Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, January.
    17. José M. Rodríguez-Ferrer & Ana Manzano-León & José M. Aguilar-Parra, 2023. "Game-Based Learning and Service-Learning to Teach Inclusive Education in Higher Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-9, February.
    18. Kurt Haim & Wolfgang Aschauer, 2024. "Innovative FOCUS: A Program to Foster Creativity and Innovation in the Context of Education for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-18, March.
    19. Francisco-Domingo Fernández-Martín & José-Luis Arco-Tirado & Francisco-Javier Carrillo-Rosúa & Mirian Hervás-Torres & Juan-Francisco Ruiz-Hidalgo & Carmen Romero-López, 2020. "Making STEM Education Objectives Sustainable through a Tutoring Program," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    20. Paula M. Castro & Ana Ares-Pernas & Adriana Dapena, 2020. "Service-Learning Projects in University Degrees Based on Sustainable Development Goals: Proposals and Results," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-23, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2605-:d:159854. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.