Abstract:

Higher education organizations play a relevant role in the development and achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) since they take part in the learning of the current students and future professionals. Therefore, the potential to promote the sustainable development and the SDG implementation, both in higher education and research, is outstanding. Particularly, civil engineering education can significantly contribute to address this goal since this engineering connects environment, urban and territorial planning and society, satisfying its necessities and promoting its economic and welfare development.

Civil engineers design, build, manage and preserve infrastructures. Civil infrastructures such as roads, railways, bridges, ports, hydraulic infrastructures significantly alter the environment. Transport and mobility for people and goods or the raw material consumption and construction waste management are other crucial challenges for civil engineering. Civil engineering is supported by the environment and natural resources, but also contributes to the control of natural risks, to guarantee safety and to manage of uncertainties.

Traditionally, civil engineering development was mainly supported by three items, safety, functionality and cost. Nowadays, civil engineering must progress towards more sustainable infrastructures throughout its whole life cycle. With this aim, civil engineering education should promote the incorporation of SDG from the very beginning of the degree curriculum. Reciprocally, current engineers and teachers should focus on a more sustainable performance, highlighting SDG in their teaching procedures and methodologies.

According to this approach, seven higher-education practical experiences have been carried out in both civil engineering degree and master in the School of Technology in Caceres (Spain). Conventional education methodology and content have been removed and re-designed within an SDG framework. The subjects considered have been ‘Chemistry’, ‘Maritime Works’, ‘Soil Mechanics’, ‘Transport and Territory’, ‘Pollution, ‘Remote Sensing in Civil Engineering’ and ‘Conservation and operation of hydraulic works’.

In all cases, at least two stages can be identified. The first stage is proposed as an introduction or presentation of the SDG, carried out by a lesson or by the review of specific material supplied by the teacher or searched for by the students themselves, followed by a questionnaire to assess the initial level of the students. The second stage consists of the development of each specific activity involved in this study, where several approaches have been implemented depending on the academic level and subject. The approaches considered have been civil engineering case-study, problems starting from a set of initial data to reach a final decision, experimental tests, professional technical dossiers, monographic review, SDG-region characterization using specific software, oral presentations and public discussions. The particular strategy followed in each subject is detailed in this contribution and some general guidelines and conclusions are also presented.

Keywords:

Sustainable Development Goals, Engineering Education.