Partnership to introduce students to sustainable development

Australia’s national university will launch a partnership with the organisation Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) that will help students gain firsthand experience of sustainable development and offer young people opportunities to work with disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas.

The EWB-ANU partnership will be launched at ANU by the Dean of the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, Professor Chris Baker, and EWB ACT Chapter President Simon Osenieks.

“We’re proud to be formalising our relationship with Engineers Without Borders, as we also encourage our students to tackle problems in a holistic way, and in ways that really improve the lives of people,” Baker said.

“Our young people have been taking part in the EWB Challenge student design program since its inception two years ago, where they compete to create an engineering solution for a problem in the developing world that can be easily replicated in resource-challenged countries.

“ANU students have also been well represented in EWB development experiences overseas, working on the ground with disadvantaged people.”

Engineers Without Borders Australia works with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects.

This is achieved by working in partnership with developing communities in Australia and overseas, assisting them to gain access to the knowledge, resources and appropriate technologies they need to improve their livelihoods.

“Through this program the next generation of professionals will be introduced to the ideas of sustainable development and appropriate technology, while working on real-world projects,” said ACT Chapter President Simon Osenieks.

“Along the way, students will develop the problem-solving and decision-making skills necessary for a successful career in their chosen field of engineering.”

The EWB-ANU partnership will provide support for EWB activities in the ACT, and also help to build on the involvement of ANU students in EWB activities locally, nationally and globally.