More than 'just teaching'...

...it's about preparing young people to commit to the "art of living in a sustainable world'.
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by PAM

A month ago, I was reading an article on one of my favorite news sites entitled, "What to Learn in College to Stay One Step Ahead of Computers".  Yes, I know, that sounds odd!  The article seems to imply that there is a need to prepare our students for a future that pits them with computers!  Anyway, among many others, my attention was caught by a statement that goes, "a college education needs to be broad and general, and not defined primarily by the traditional structure of separate departments staffed by professors who want, most of all, to be at the forefront of their own narrow disciplines."

These days, just being at the forefront of your own discipline has seized to be important and "fashionable" in the field of higher education.  Today, it is more important to stand side-by-side with colleagues in a multi-disciplinary team assembled to craft multi-faceted projects that integrate theoretical concepts with the "art of living in a sustainable world".  In Engineering, we go one step further... with a blend of technical and practical lessons that motivate our students to assume personal responsibility in being the steward of our environment, taking care of the world we live in.  Today, what is more important is

Lush... it would be nice if this beauty is maintained for many
generations to enjoy.

making sure that the kind of education we offer allows our students to function well in the society; to respond appropriately and sufficiently to issues that ensure a sustainable future.  And this is especially of great importance in countries like ours, which are not only rich in natural resources, but have been joked about as also being rich in natural disasters.  While the joke can be hilarious, the real effects of these disasters are absolutely not!  Perhaps, disasters would not be as "natural" if we become more conscious of the impact of our activities on the environment; the impact of the technologies we develop and use on our natural environment.

Where I teach, an important part of the students' education is learning how to handle sensibly the issues that may adversely affect a sustainable future.  Part of it is in our core values of competence, commitment and compassion.  In the case of Engineering students, the competence in developing "green" technologies and structures; the commitment to the Engineer's oath of being steward of the environment rather than being disruptors of the ecological processes in our natural environment; and compassion in putting the interest of a whole generation that thrives on a healthy environment above wealth and fame.  We hope that with this, we can enjoy a future that is not filled with hazards and occurrences that do not necessitate constant and resource-intensive mitigation... keep mother nature happy, so she could continue taking care of all of us sufficiently.

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Photo credit:  I took the photo in the Underground River of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

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