In a paradigm shift, engineering is now absorbing a social science dimension into its traditional application of the pure science disciplines.
The University of Queensland is driving this broadening of engineering culture through the establishment of the Catalyst Centre, which aims to incorporate social issues and community engagement into what has been a traditional, problem-solving profession.
Set up in May last year, the Catalyst Centre is the engine room for developing a more diverse working, learning and research culture within engineering education and professional practice.
Co-directors Professor David Radcliffe and Caroline Crosthwaite from the School of Engineering are working with Dr Lesley Jolly and Helen Johnson from the School of Social Sciences in this multidisciplinary approach.
Professor Radcliffe said the Catalyst Centre was a socio-technical research and learning network that aimed to make technology-based organisations more creative and effective.
He said there was greater community awareness of ecological and social impacts of development. Engineers should now take account of this if they wanted to maintain a leading role in future.
“As a previously male-dominated culture, engineering has been largely immune from social and community influences so we’ve set up the Catalyst Centre to cultivate a more holistic approach,” Professor Radcliffe said.
“This change is about getting multiple perspectives on projects and incorporating triple bottom line concepts which balance the financial, environmental and social aspects of any business activity.”
And just as a catalyst is a small thing that generates change without being consumed in the process, the Catalyst Centre aims to work with and through people so the ownership of outcomes is transferred to these people who then act as change agents.
The approach is to use cross-disciplinary teams that draw on engineering, the social sciences and the humanities to enable the centre to become established as one that demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach to both research and teaching.
Stated goals are to create new learning strategies, implement the University’s 1998 Engineering Diversity Report, foster industry partnerships, conduct socio-technical research and develop an international network.
Funding is on a project-by-project basis, such as ARC linkage grants that are supporting two PhD students through the Thiess-UQ Strategic Learning Partnership looking at cultural change in project management and design management.
“I liken it to the engineering debate about a decade ago when engineers realised the environment and sustainability issues would impact on engineering decisions and this led to the specialisation of environmental engineering.”
“Now the debate has moved on further, with the community expecting to be actively involved in development and no longer blindly tolerating the decisions of technocrats.”
Professor Radcliffe is a mechnical engineer, with a PhD in biomedical engineering, whose interest in this broader approach was sparked while working with anthropologists and social scientists in Silicon Valley in the United States in the 1990s.
For more information, contact Professor Radcliffe on 3365 3579
