Professional development within study abroad programs for engineering educators to gain confidence in preparing students to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals

Engineers of the future will play a vital role in working towards the universally recognised Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) which have set the development agenda until 2030. Engineering graduates need to be equipped and empowered to tackle the global issues of poverty, sustainability and inequality yet a lack of knowledge amongst engineering educators of these issues has been suggested as a barrier for universities in preparing their students to be able to make an impact in this area. Limited opportunities currently exist for engineering educators to gain valuable real world experience in development practice. An Academic Fellow program exists that provides opportunities for engineering educators to be exposed to development contexts and human centred design approaches as part of a two-week immersive educational experience. This paper explores the impacts that this program has had on the professional development of participating engineering educators as well as their perception of their motivation, capability and confidence for preparing future engineers to address the Sustainable Development Goals.