Ethics Education Workshop and Report
With support from the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society held the workshop "Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research: What's Been Learned? What Should Be Done?" on August 25 and 26, 2008.
The workshop discussed the social environment of science and engineering education; the need for ethics education for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in science and engineering; models for effective programs; and assessment of approaches to ethics education, among other topics.
Engineering, Social Justice and Sustainable Community Development
The workshop on “Engineering, Social Justice, and Sustainable Community Development” was held on October 2–3, 2008. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics with support from the National Science Foundation and NAE member Harry E. Bovay Jr., the underwriter of activities of the CEES.
“Engineering, Social Justice, and Sustainable Community Development” is the first in a series of biennial workshops planned by CEES on the theme of engineering ethics and engineering leadership. This workshop was inspired by members of the CEES Advisory Group (CEES-AG), who raised questions about conflicting positive goals for engineering projects in impoverished areas and areas in crisis. These conflicts arise domestically as well as in international arenas. CEES-AG noted that engineers and ethicists had not examined or discussed the difficulties such conflicts could pose for successful project completion. These goals of project sponsors and participants, which are often implicit, include protecting human welfare, ensuring social justice, and striving for environmental sustainability alongside the more often explicit goal of economic development or progress.