Ingenuity and Society : A humanitarian engineering education experience in Colombia

Engineering education can address the analysis of disputes related to the effects generated by the techno-scientific activities over social relationships and nature. Education processes conceived from this approach allow debates and train professionals who may be involved in processes of design, implementation and monitoring scientific and technological practices and policies towards a more contextualized education in Humanitarian Engineering.In this direction, the course Ingenuity, Science, Technology and Society was created. Offered since 2014 by the School of Engineering as an elective course for all undergraduate programs in Bogotá Campus at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. This course is intended as a space for reflection and action, complementary to the formal curriculum. It allows the interaction of students from different disciplines with the aim of formulate proposals for solutions to socio-technical problems with marginalized communities through co-design. As for the characterization of students, in nine semesters 600 have signed the course, of which 403 have filled out an initial survey, and 557 have filled a second one. Some of the findings are: 40 academic programs from 10 schools have participated, involving 77% of men and 22% of women and 1% that define themselves as other. About the evaluation of the course, the students said that the 90% of them consider the course relevant for their professional life and the 95% consider that the course have to continue in the University.