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Global Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education PAPER GLOBAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: DEVELOPING PLATFORMS TOWARD GLOBAL… Global Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education: Developing Platforms toward Global Alignment http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v6i1.5372 D.A. Delaine1, D.N. Williams2, R. Sigamoney3 and R.G. Tull4 1 Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 2 Tufts University, Medford, USA 3 UNESCO Engineering Initiative, Paris, France 4 The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, USA Abstract—This paper presents an investigation of global cation, innovation, information and communications tech- scale diversity and inclusion efforts within engineering edu- nology, and an appropriate economic and institutional cation. The content is an expansion of work that was shared regime that allows efficient mobilization and allocation of at the 2015 World Engineering Education Forum’s first resources [1]. Technical acumen must be supplemented special session on “Diversity & Inclusion in Global Engi- with professional skills to develop ‘adaptive engineering neering Education.” Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are leaders’ capable of addressing the multiple challenges of contextualized topics that shift objectives from country to an evolving world [2]. Today’s engineers are expected to country. The role of D&I in engineering education and be able to work in highly diverse teams, and within/across practice has gained prominence in recent years due to the different cultures. Engineering education must respond to fact that engineers are facing increased need for global these challenges with effectiveness and efficiency to de- collaboration and are expected to be able to work in highly velop the engineering professional that globalized econo- diverse teams and within different cultures. D&I initiatives mies need. Economies can be globally competitive when in the field of engineering generally include gender, ethnici- all members of their societies are able to access education ty, and national origin, and may include persons who are and careers within the science, technology, engineering, economically underprivileged and persons with disabilities. and mathematics (STEM) community. While the prominence of D&I has increased, international learning outcomes and collaborations within these efforts However, access to STEM careers is not inclusive; that are limited. Within a global community a common platform, needs to change. Obtaining full and equal inclusion of all presented here as a theoretical framework for decontextual- members, requires 1) confrontation of the issue, and 2) ized D&I, would allow for the sharing of best practices and thoughtful consideration of factors that negatively impact maximize learning opportunities and impact. By examining access and participation within STEM education and ca- models from around the world, we can begin to structure, reers. Negative factors include, but are not limited to im- consolidate, optimize, and disseminate the global benefits of plicit biases, and condescending attitudes from those in D&I. In this work, various programs are reviewed as suc- supervisory positions [3]. cess cases because they have increased the numbers of un- Once it is determined that negative factors cannot be derrepresented students who enroll in and graduate from ignored, the road to inclusion requires parties with au- STEM programs. The potential for solidarity amongst Di- thority to develop mechanisms that will offset these fac- versity & Inclusion initiatives and programs in different tors. Transcending barriers to participation and access regions of the world is explored. Efforts are made to deter- within STEM is possible, and the work that addresses mine what can be learned from synergies across D&I activi- challenges and potential solutions are topics to research ties. within the area of “Diversity and Inclusion,” also referred to as “Broadening Participation.” Index Terms—Diversity, Inclusion, Global, Collaboration, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are important to ensure Broadening Participation, Underrepresented Minorities the success of engineering in front of these needs, espe- cially for innovation through diverse perspectives, the I. INTRODUCTION mobilization and allocation of human resources, and the Access and competitiveness within the knowledge development of cross cultural awareness and acceptance. economy shapes economic development in a world which The practice of D&I is contextualized topic, manifested is increasingly more globalized [1]. This globalization is differently in settings based on local, national, or regional inspiring need for more knowledge, knowledge creation, contexts, which can include politics, socio-cultural history and knowledge management, all of which will become and dynamics, and economics. The National Science critical to address, survive, and excel in international con- Foundation, within the USA, describes broadening partic- texts [2]. The knowledge economy, an economy in which ipation of underrepresented groups, e.g., Alaska Natives, knowledge is acquired, created, disseminated and used Native Americans, Blacks or African Americans, Hispan- effectively to enhance economic development has ics, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, and emerged from the traditional economy. A knowledge Persons with Disabilities, and notes that identification of a economy is said to require long-term investments in edu- particular group as underrepresented may vary by disci- 56 http://www.i-jep.org PAPER GLOBAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: DEVELOPING PLATFORMS TOWARD GLOBAL… pline (e.g., women are underrepresented in some fields) istics such as age, physical appearance, physical ability [4,5]. For example, women have been significantly un- (disabled or differently abled), thought styles, religion, derrepresented in engineering fields, typically making up nationality, socio-economic status, belief systems, sexual only 10 – 20% of the engineering workforce. In Africa, orientation, education, worldview, problem-solving orien- women represent even fewer of the engineering profes- tation, and learning style [9,10], people in rural, isolated sionals with South Africa having around 10% women and or deprived areas, and migrants, refugees and asylum Kenya only 8% [5]. While young women only represent 7 seekers [11]. Dr. William Wulf, former president of the – 12% of engineering students in sub-Saharan Africa, their National Academy of Engineering, defined diversity in percentage in North Africa and the Middle East is compa- engineering with these words, “When I say diversity, by rable, and in some cases higher, than in some countries in the way, I do mean what most people assume: the repre- Europe [5]. In some Arab States, women account for more sentation of women and underrepresented minorities. But than half of the engineering student population, but the I also mean "individual diversity," the breadth of experi- number of female engineering graduates who go on to ence of an individual engineer. Both, I believe, are criti- work in engineering professions in the region is much cal” [12]. lower [5]. In other instances, women are effectively play- Inclusion, as defined by the Higher Education Acade- ing the role of engineers in their communities, as holders my, means “the enabling of full and equitable participa- of informal local knowledge of environmental sustainabil- tion in and progression through higher education for all ity and recycling, but their expertise has yet to be recog- prospective and existing students [13].” ASME defines nized [5]. Inclusion as “the creation of opportunities and the elimina- While the need for ensuring full demographic represen- tion of barriers that allow all people to participate in and tation within the knowledge economy and the STEM contribute to ideation, planning, projects, programs, pro- workforce is presumed, the methods for ensuring educa- cesses, teams, organizations, social activities, fun or any tional and workforce diversity and inclusion and the ex- other meaningful opportunity, that helps achieve success- tent to which these are practiced around the world are not ful outcomes [8].” fully understood. The global engineering education com- D&I initiatives are sometimes referred to as the science munity has unified and excelled, leading to significant of Broadening Participation (BP), where individuals from advancements [6], however, the consideration of D&I on a underrepresented groups, as well as institutions and geo- global scale has not seen similar consolidation and scal- graphic areas that do not participate at rates comparable to ing. There is an increasing need for global collaborations others, are invited into STEM careers [9]. Figure 1 pro- and engineering workforce mobility within this area. This vides the NSF’s formal description. work seeks to establish considerations and a framework which will facilitate increased global collaboration. “Creating opportunities and developing innova- Earlier work [7], introduced international and global tive strategies to broaden participation among di- level D&I efforts within the STEM fields and engineering verse individuals, institutions, and geographic areas education. This paper includes similar content building on are critical to the NSF mission of identifying and that work to include perspectives on diversity resulting funding work at the leading edge of discovery. The from formal sessions with global STEM leaders at the creative engagement of diverse ideas and perspec- 2015 World
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