The Challenges of Teaching Sustainable System Design

Abstract

We present the program Sustainable Design Engineering, where Science and Technology Studies theories are a core element among design and engineering approaches. Our main claim is that existing product centred and short-term oriented solution tools and knowledges are inadequate for system design in a sustainable transition perspective. To achieve this goal, design theory and practices need to be further improved to be able to tackle controversies and engage in proposing how to navigate conflicting matters of concern and partial systemic clashes with a long-term scope.

Educating Engineering Systems Designers: A Systems Design Competences and Skills Matrix

“…But, to fully address sustainability challenges, designers must fundamentally understand the nature of production and consumption and how their work sits within this broader system. Pineda and Jørgensen (2018) emphasise the importance of wider systems thinking in teaching the design of sustainable systems. Interestingly, they define 'systems' by firstly articulating what a system is not.…”

“…This perspective takes the boundary of design projects beyond what might be more usually seen in product design or even product-service design examples, in which the product or technology is the dominant component. Pineda and Jørgensen (2018) note that:…”

What Is Sustainable Design Engineering (Sde)? Perspectives From a Problem-Based Learning Education: M.SC. In Sde at Aalborg University Copenhagen

“…A more honest approach, the one we adopt in the program, is that existing engineering knowledge has to be evaluated and either improved or radically changed to support projects and developments towards sustainability (Dym et al, 2005). The field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) has produced a number of conceptual approaches that support the critical analysis of existing knowledge in science, technology and social sciences; identify ways of improving them for a given purpose; and supporting t he adaptation and development of tools and methods that can support the staging and development of radical transformative processes towards sustainability (Clausen and Yosinaka, 2007;Storni, 2015;Pineda and Jørgensen, 2018). Figure 1 shows schematically the areas that need to be integrated in Sustainable Design Engineering.…”

“…However it is important to acknowledge that this focus renders the bulk of research and knowledge production on sustainable design of products and physical components limited. Those design projects and approaches that assume the challenge of supporting radical systemic changes to the main sociotechnical systems in societie s have a higher transformative potential, but currently are the ones that deserve less attention in research in design and engineering design communities (Ceschin and Gaziulusoy, 2016;Pineda and Jørgensen, 2018). Finally engineering has traditionally been a huge array of subdisciplines, each concentrated in specific technical challenges of existing and emerging technological systems.…”

“…One example is the Bachelor and Master Programme in SDE at the Aalborg University in Copenhagen (AAU-CPH). The focus of this article is on the Master programme, meanwhile for a description of the Bachelor programme see Pineda and Jørgensen (2018).…”