Abstract:

Standard engineering education relies on a linear, performance-driven model. It prioritizes measurable academic output, which frequently leads to cognitive and emotional exhaustion among students. For the current generation, who already face high levels of digital saturation and anxiety about the future, this continuous pressure often results in severe burnout and a detachment from their core values.

This paper introduces "Circular Pedagogy," an educational framework that applies the principles of industrial eco-design and zero-waste systems directly to student development. Rather than treating mental health and academic performance as separate issues, this approach views the student's intellectual and emotional resources as a single, closed-loop system.

A key component of this framework is the "Sanctuary Phase"—structured periods of strategic cognitive isolation. Recognizing modern student concepts such as "Monk Mode" or "digital detox," this method integrates deliberate disconnection into the academic cycle. It provides students with the quiet space required to process information, recover from cognitive overload, and step away from the performative demands of university life.

By redefining academic resilience as a circular process rather than the mechanical ability to endure continuous stress, educators can support long-term psychological sustainability. In this model, genuine curiosity and intellectual effort sustain each other, reducing the "waste" of performance anxiety. Ultimately, Circular Pedagogy equips future engineers to build professional habits where their internal practices mirror the sustainable systems they design for the physical world.

Keywords:

Engineering Education, Circular Pedagogy, Psychological Sustainability, Cognitive Overload, Academic Resilience, Eco-design in Education.