The engineering profession must embrace a new mission statement: to contribute to the building of a more sustainable, stable, and equitable world. Recently, engineering students and professionals in the US have shown more interest in directly addressing the needs of developing communities worldwide. That interest has taken the form of short- and medium-term international trips through Engineers Without Borders-USA and similar organizations. There are also several instances where this kind of outreach work has been integrated into engineering education. This paper addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with balancing two goals in engineering for humanitarian development projects: (i) effective sustainable community development, and (ii) meaningful education of engineers. Guiding principles necessary to meet those two goals are proposed.

1. Robyn Sandekian, Managing Director
Mortenson Center in
Engineering for Developing Communities

2.  Intro to Humanitarian Engineering Concept
 Goals of Humanitarian Engineering Activities
 Proposed Guiding Principles

4.  1.2 billion lack clean water
 2.4 billion lack adequate sanitation
 2.4 billion are at risk with malaria
 29,000 children die from hunger daily
 1.1 billion overfed vs. 1.1 billion underfed
 1.2 billion lack adequate housing
 1.6 billion have no access to electricity
 4.2 billion are unable to read
 1.8 billion live in conflict zones, in
transition, or in situations of permanent
instability

5. “…responds to the global need for engineers who:
 …understand problems of development &
sustainability,
 …are motivated by a sense of the future, and
 …are able to interact with other disciplines,
 …to design and implement solutions.”
- George Bugliarello, 2008

6.  Engineering for humanitarian
development contributes to the
implementation of the eight
Millennium Development Goals

7. Within the academic context, two basic goals:
effective sustainable community development,
and
meaningful education of engineers.

8.  Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Approach
 Quality Control and Ethics
 Organizational Accountability
 Education
 Innovation and Technologic Appropriateness
 Fundraising
 Collaboration and Teamwork
 Duration of Intervention
 Sustainability
 Evaluation