How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? The findings of an international survey and possible implications for the engineering curriculum

TLDR: In an attempt to facilitate a better integration of sustainability teaching into the engineering curriculum, the authors addressed the issue of engineering education for sustainable development and provided answers to the following fundamental questions: (1) How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? (2) What are the knowledge gaps? (3) What could be the best approach to educating engineering students for sustainability development?

Abstract: This paper addresses the issue of engineering education for sustainable development In an attempt to facilitate a better integration of sustainability teaching into the engineering curriculum, it seeks to provide answers to the following fundamental questions: (1) How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? (2) What are the knowledge gaps? (3) What could be the best approach to educating engineering students for sustainable development? Some answers to the first two questions have been provided by carrying out a world-wide survey of engineering students on their level of knowledge and understanding of sustainable development The survey results suggest that, overall, the level of knowledge is not satisfactory and that significant knowledge gaps exist However, an encouraging result is that students believe that sustainable development is important for engineers, although they often have difficulties in making a direct link between the theory of sustainable development and enginee