Navigating the Landscape of Higher Engineering Education

Project introduction and background information

The 2016 report “Engineering Education in a Rapidly Changing World” portrayed the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world and a personal vision on the changes that are needed for future-fit higher engineering education. The report stirred considerable debate across and beyond TU Delft and is being used by many universities as an inspiration for educational leaders and teaching staff to rethink their courses and programmes.

This new report aims to complement that vision with new insights and offers a forward-thinking perspective on higher engineering education. The ideas and examples in the report are multi-sourced and leveraged with a personal touch. It discusses the greater responsibility students have for their own education and learning process, the importance of professional skills, and the integration of the digital transformation and responsible engineering in curricula. Last but not least it looks at the essence of impactful education, the need to upskill staff, and the impact of the vastly altered population of learners, mainly Generation-Z students.

Objective and expected outcomes

Bridge the gap between visionaries, thought leaders and academic teaching staff on the shop floor.

Results and learnings

The concluding chapter has been written as a compass for educational leaders. It has four compass points:

• Skillsets and mindsets for 21st century engineers;
• Pedagogical and technological innovations in education;
• Continuous/life time education: continuous upskilling and relearning; 
• Educational strategy and leadership.

In these compass points it gives 24 recommendations for the development of educational vision and strategy and their implementation in organisations and curricula.

Practical outcomes

Descriptions of frameworks, concrete examples and guiding principles for relevant subjects, such as the changing roles in the engineering profession, the shift in focus from teaching to learning, learning as inquiry, diversity in the classroom as well as in the educational portfolio, the learning, unlearning and relearning of staff competencies, the strengthening of university-industry collaboration, and empowering leadership.