Abstract:

Education, namely the engineering education, plays a key role in understanding and responding to the environmental and societal challenges through fostering specific competences, attitudes and actions of future engineers that will serve for the purpose of sustainable development of the society. An ability to foresee the consequences of taken professional decisions and act responsibly is one of the core competences of a professional engineer demanded by modern society.

In this regard, it seems appropriate to develop a framework to launch a trend of Responsible Education, which will enhance the quality of training and a successful implementation of the principles of sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations.
Such concept builds a bridge between training a responsible engineer and taking the responsibility for his/her education, learning outcomes and future career on behalf of the HEI, including faculty and administration involved in the teaching process. This research serves as a basis for developing the concept of Responsible Education.

To develop such a specific environment in the university, to promote and foster changes, to ensure sustainability mindset of graduates it is necessary to fulfill at least three conditions:
• HEI should elaborate and follow the Code of Responsible Education (meet high ethical standards of social responsibility for the quality of university training and competences of graduates);
• scientific and pedagogical staff should feel and take social responsibility for the results of their work;
• HEI should create conditions for the students, allowing them to constantly participate in different activities (projects and events) and assess the social impact of the solutions and decisions taken by them or their colleagues.

Keywords:

Sustainability, specific learning environment, sustainability mindset, responsible education.