Learning Engineering Ethics

Abstract

Ethics promotes collective respect, well-being, and development. Its values drive individual, social, and environmental conduct and apply to all human activities. Professional ethics or deontology refers to the moral obligations binding professionals to society in the work sphere. These moral obligations are fundamental in professions that, like engineering, are behind technological innovation, given its current daily and worldwide impact. As such, it is essential to train engineers for holistic problem-solving, that is, driven by ethical, sustainability, technical, and economic constraints. This chapter analyses engineering ethics and how it is addressed within the European Project Semester, an undergraduate one-semester international exchange program, focusing on this aspect of engineering education. European Project Semester relies on multicultural teamwork, project-based learning, ethics, and sustainability-oriented design to motivate and prepare global engineers committed to protecting and improving life on the planet.