The political, social and economic dimensions of engineering education

Abstract

The social, political, and economic structure of a society influences several aspects of the society, including the education sector and these three areas are often interconnected and affected by similar issues. Engineering, like other aspects of education is affected by policies and ideologies in a country and in turn, has an effect on the development of the economy. This paper shines a searchlight on modern day engineering education, focusing on its adaptation to economic and socio-political issues and changes, how they affect engineering education and its relevance in the face of evolving patterns and emerging trends in science and technology. This paper explores how these dimensions are being introduced into the engineering curricula-how engineering is taught and learned, changes that need to occur to maximize benefits obtainable from this linkage between engineering and the various aspects of society, how socio-political and economic content impact the field of engineering, and the contribution of engineering to these aspects of human life.