Humanitarian Engineering
Encyclopedia
Humanitarian engineering may be defined as 'research and design under constraints to directly improve the wellbeing of marginalized communities'. What is most distinctive about this type of engineering
is its targeted audience - those that might be classified as 'marginalized, or under-served'. Humanitarian engineering places strong emphasis on the cultural context of engaging in engineering activities which impact the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and those that lack the means to address pressing problems. As such, training for one who participates in humanitarian engineering incorporates history, politics, economics, sociology, language, as well as rigorous engineering basics. Several universities in the United States
focus efforts on Humanitarian Engineering: Penn State University integrates engineering design and research with a strong social entrepreneurship
thrust http://www.engr.psu.edu/hese. Colorado School of Mines
offers a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. Arizona State University
offers a 3-course humanitarian engineering/entrepreneurship capstone as a part of the GlobalResolve program.
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
is its targeted audience - those that might be classified as 'marginalized, or under-served'. Humanitarian engineering places strong emphasis on the cultural context of engaging in engineering activities which impact the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and those that lack the means to address pressing problems. As such, training for one who participates in humanitarian engineering incorporates history, politics, economics, sociology, language, as well as rigorous engineering basics. Several universities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
focus efforts on Humanitarian Engineering: Penn State University integrates engineering design and research with a strong social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a...
thrust http://www.engr.psu.edu/hese. Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...
offers a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
offers a 3-course humanitarian engineering/entrepreneurship capstone as a part of the GlobalResolve program.
Programs
- Penn State, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE)
- Colorado School of Mines, Humanitarian Engineering Program
- MIT, D-Lab - (see also Amy B. SmithAmy B. SmithAmy Smith is an American inventor, educator, and founder of at . She works to develop technologies and build creative capacity internationally.-Early life and education:...
) - Arizona State University, GlobalResolve
- University of DaytonUniversity of DaytonThe University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
, Engineers for Technical Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-Learning (ETHOS) - Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth CollegeDartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Humanitarian Engineering Leadership Projects (HELP) Worldwide - Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities
Journals
See also
- Engineers Without BordersEngineers Without BordersEngineers Without Borders – International is an international association of some national EWB/ISF groups, whose mission is to facilitate collaboration, exchange of information, and assistance among its member groups that have applied to become part of the association...
- Engineers for a Sustainable WorldEngineers for a Sustainable WorldEngineers for a Sustainable World is a national not-for-profit based in Merced, California. ESW is an umbrella organization with chapters established at twenty-seven colleges and universities located primarily in the United States. ESW chapters work on technical engineering projects that have a...
- Appropriate technologyAppropriate technologyAppropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...