The Borders of Engineers Without Borders: A Self-Assessment of Ingenieros Sin Fronteras Colombia

Abstract

This article results from a process of self-assessment within Ingenieros Sin Fronteras Colombia (ISFC). The activities usually referred to as humanitarian engineering, assistive engineering, engineering for aid, and/or engineering for development are increasingly involving educational frameworks, activities, and institutions in service-learning schemes. In this article, we discuss the issues and challenges that arise from this combination of objectives, activities, and institutional settings, especially when these approaches are implemented in the Global South. To do so we reflect on the type of service learning we are conducting in Colombia. We develop a general service learning in engineering typology to situate our work. We find that our Local Learning in the South collaboration makes the work of ISFC both different than and similar to other service-learning engagements. It is different in the sense that local engagements do not experience the cultural and language barriers faced by cross-cultural projects. It is similar in the sense that, with the exception of the cross-cultural challenges, our projects run the same risks as any other service learning in engineering projects in the world. To reflect on these risks we propose a set of five questions to self-assess our work. Thinking about the choice of naming our work "ingeniería sin fronteras" (engineering without borders), we consider what kind of borders we are dealing with and propose five: financial, epistemic, engineering educational, knowledge, and reputation. We invite other organizations to question the kind of borders their work aims at eliminating but risks replicating.

Engaged Engineering: A Preliminary Review of University Practices on Engineering and Society in Colombia

“…However, there are criticisms regarding the interests of the parties involved, the effects of the solutions on the communities, and the possible welfarist nature of this approach (Reina-Rozo, 2020b). Despite this, there have been processes of internal reflection in this type of organizations regarding their work in interaction with the communities and the impact of their actions in the face of welfare dynamics (Valderrama Pineda et al, 2012). Finally, in the last decade, the concept of development has occupied a central place in their actions, which are linked to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.…”

“…In Colombia, a chapter was created in 2008 and called Ingenieros Sin Fronteras, which has produced contrasting results due to the diversity of practices and reflections (Cortés Mora et al, 2013;Valderrama Pineda et al, 2012). As of 2020, this initiative is composed of professors, researchers, and students from Universidad de los Andes and Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios in Bogotá.…”

Ingeniería para la construcción de paz: una reflexión preliminar para procesos tecnocientíficos de resiliencia territorial

“…Mientras, en 2002 se crea la red internacional de ISF 1 que, de acuerdo con Helgensson (2006), para septiembre de 2005 estaba registrada en 50 países y el total de miembros rondaba los 50.000. En Colombia, las experiencias con este enfoque han sido disímiles dado que parten de praxis diferentes (Cortés, Martínez, León y Peña, 2013;Valderrama, Arias, Ramírez, Bejarano y Silva, 2012).…”