Integrating Sustainability in the Engineering and Computer Science Curriculum

Conference exploring the integration of sustainability in engineering and computer science programmes in Ireland.

Urgent and transformative action is needed on the climate emergency. The integration of sustainability in the engineering and computer science curriculum is gaining increased attention among academics, students and accreditation agencies, however, there is divergence in the method of integration, measurement and interpretations of sustainability.

In collaboration with Engineers Ireland, the Royal Irish Academy Engineering & Computer Sciences and Climate Change & Environmental Sciences Committees are organising a one-day conference to explore the integration of sustainability in engineering and computer science programmes in Ireland. The event and resulting report aim to shine a spotlight on successful programme development, identify gaps and blockers, and outline what best practice for embedding sustainability could look like.

The day will start with a keynote delivered by Laura Burke, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency and President of Engineers Ireland. Following that, attendees will hear a variety of case studies that will offer perspectives on the current state of play in the intersection between sustainability, engineering and computer science. In the afternoon participants will break into groups to explore topics such as curriculum, accreditation, and assessment, in more depth.

This event will be geared towards third-level academic and teaching staff but also hopes to engage policy makers, funding agencies, and representatives from professional bodies and the engineering and computer industries. In bringing stakeholders together to share and exchange experiences, ideas, successes, and learnings, we hope that this event will be a catalyst to encourage further development in this important area.

Programme:

10:30-11:00 Registration and networking

11:00-11:05 Welcome and opening remarks

11:05-11:10 Video Address from Jennie Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice at the ICARUS Climate Research Centre, Maynooth University

11:10-11:40 Keynote: 'Competence-driven engineering education: a beacon for innovation and a sustainable future'

Delivered by Laura Burke, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency and President of Engineers Ireland 

11:40-13:30 Case Study Session (5 x 15-minute presentations with 5 minutes after each one for Q&A)

Dr Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Centre for Sustainability, Atlantic Technological University - Building Futures: Embracing Futures Thinking in Built Environment Education

Dr Abeer Eshra, Post-doctoral fellow, Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University - DNA Computing: A Sustainable Approach to Engineering, Computation, and Storage Challenges

Dr Elizabeth Hurley, Lecturer in Sustainability & Education for Sustainable Development, University of Galway - Designing a Microcredential for Embedding Sustainability in the Curriculum

Dr Beatrice Smyth, Senior lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Natalie Le Seelleur, Climate and Sustainability in the Curriculum Officer, Queen's University Belfast - Bottom up and top down approaches to embedding sustainability in engineering education

Dr Harun Šiljak, Kinsella Assistant Professor, Electronic & Elect. Engineering, Trinity College Dublin - Sustainability after destruction: engineering education and reconstruction of Gaza

13:30-14:30 Lunch

14:30-15:45 Breakout session

15:45-16:30 Closing session (including breakout reports)

Speaker Bios:

Laura Burke

Laura Burke is the 132nd President of Engineers Ireland. Ms Burke is the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), appointed in 2011 and served as a Director within the EPA since 2004. As Director General, she has the responsibility to lead and strategically manage the EPA. Laura was the Chair of the European Environment Agency (EEA) Management Board from 2017 to 2023. Laura is a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and a member of the High-Level Implementation Committee of ‘Food Vision 2030’, the Irish Agri-Food Sector Strategy. Prior to joining the EPA, she worked in the private sector. Laura is a graduate chemical engineer of University College Dublin (UCD), holds an MSc from Trinity College, Dublin, is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and is a Chartered Director.

Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Centre for Sustainability and Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of Building and Civil Engineering. Mark is currently on secondment with the Higher Education Authority as a National Policy Advisor on Education for Sustainable Development.

Elizabeth Hurley

Dr Elizabeth Hurley has 20 years of experience in secondary and higher education focused on environmental systems and sustainable development. Her expertise is in the design of curriculum and instruction that supports education for sustainable development in disciplinary contexts. She has led interdisciplinary collaborative curriculum and program design efforts that support ESD, annual program evaluations, intercultural competence development of faculty and staff, and short-term study abroad experiences. As a lecturer at the University of Galway, she is working to embed sustainability and ESD in all undergraduate and post-graduate degree programs in the Colleges of Science & Engineering and Medicine, Nursing, & Health Sciences.

Beatrice Smyth and Natalie Le Seelleur

Dr Beatrice Smyth is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast. Beatrice teaches modules at undergraduate and MSc level on sustainable energy, and transportation, power and systems. Her research interests include environmental impacts, life cycle analyses, and bioresources.

Natalie Le Seelleur is the Climate and Sustainability in the Curriculum Officer in Queen’s. Her work is focused on developing strategies that embed the UN SDGs into both academic and extracurricular activities. Natalie runs the Sustainable Futures through Education Advisory Group which aims to advance the integration of sustainability principles into the university's curriculum.

Abeer Eshra

Dr Abeer Eshra is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at Maynooth University. She holds a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering and specializes in DNA computing, focusing on molecular computation and scalable, renewable DNA-based devices for storage and computation. She is part of the EU portfolio of DNA Digital Data Storage under the DISCO project. She is also an alumna of the Engage Ideation Programme, perusing her research’s industry potential. She has over a decade of teaching experience and was a lecturer in Egypt from 2019 to 2021. Based at Maynooth University in Ireland, she develops practical DNA computing solutions and recently secured €520K in funding under the Research Ireland Pathway Programme.

Harun Šiljak

Dr Harun Šiljak is an assistant professor in embedded systems, optimisation, and control in School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin. His teaching portfolio covers different areas of systems theory, control engineering, and complex systems science. His current research focus is on interaction of technology and society through policy, planning, and networks of resource management and allocation. He is currently co-PI on TRACE, Research Ireland-funded project on group water schemes, and Not a Space Race, Research Ireland-funded project on emerging quantum technology policy in Ireland.

Queries

If you have queries relating to this event, contact Fionnuala Parfrey by email: f.parfrey@ria.ie

Access requirements

Have you got any access requirements that we can assist you with, so that you can fully engage with our event? Please let us know by contacting our access officer, in advance of the event, by email at accessofficer@ria.ie.