On June 14, 2014, JI sophomore Guangyu Zhang presented “Orienting Engineering Ethics in terms of China: Curricula Shortcomings and Case Studies on China,” a paper co-authored with Dr. Rockwell Clancy, at the American Society of Engineering Education 2014 International Forum, in Indianapolis, IN, USA. This paper constitutes the initial findings of an IPP project on which they’ve been working.
Recently upgraded to a national level project, their research aims at improving engineering ethics curricula in China and, in turn, public safety. Insofar as engineering is involved in all facets of modern life, engineers play a significant role in public safety: It is important that engineers engage in ethical practices, holding the safety of the public paramount.
At present, courses that deal with the ethical and social dimensions of engineering are not a central feature of engineering curricula throughout China – in this regard, the JI is a notable exception. Texts for courses on engineering ethics are generally based on foreign perspectives, where the theoretical framework used to address these dimensions are conceived in terms of Western perspectives. For this reason, simply importing such curricula would be inappropriate. Failing to understand the central concepts and principles in courses dealing with the ethical and social implications of engineering written from and for a Western perspective, Chinese students might fail to appreciate the responsibilities engineers have for insuring public safety. To bridge this gap, Guangyu and Dr. Clancy’s project consists in researching and writing case studies on China to be used in courses on engineering ethics.
The availability of such resources will facilitate the introduction of such courses into engineering curricula throughout China. As their research highlights the ways socially specific values and circumstances influence the nature of engineering in China, this focus will assuage difficulties Chinese students find in understanding materials developed from and for a Western perspective. (For example, Guangyu and Dr. Clancy’s research places greater emphasis on the nature of the communal good and shared responsibility in engineering contexts, as well as China’s place as a developing country, where tradeoffs between rapid development and environmental wellbeing should occupy an important place.) Better understanding concepts relevant to the ethical and social implications of engineering, they hope Chinese engineering students will more fully appreciate and act in a manner conducive to public safety.
The Research Team Members
