Engineering

Engineer is one of the oldest professions in the world, and engineers have played an important role in shaping the world as we know it. Their understanding of structures helped build many of the World Heritage sites including the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur and the hydrological systems of the Angkor Complex in Cambodia. They have also built our communication networks from the early electrical telegraphs to cyberspace. Most of the broader history of civilization, of economic and social relations, is also the history of engineering, engineering applications and innovation.

Engineers’ skills are essential to address basic human needs, alleviate poverty, promote secure and sustainable development, respond to emergency situations, reconstruct infrastructure, bridge the knowledge divide and promote intercultural cooperation. Despite the social and economic importance of engineers, there is increasing concern that declining enrolment in engineering studies might have a negative impact on future development. UNESCO is addressing this concern through its partnerships with professional engineering societies, educational institutions, industries, and civil society organizations.

The Africa Engineering Week was launched in 2014 to increase the visibility of engineering and its role in sustainable development, in an effort to encourage more students to study engineering. This event supplements the STEM curriculum by providing practical engineering applications, and ensure the sustainability of these efforts by inciting more African countries to take part. During this week, students in schools across Africa participate in hands-on educational activities and are introduced to interesting career paths in engineering via a series of conferences, seminars and workshops.

 

Today, the event continues to provide an ideal platform for exchange in the field of engineering in Africa by promoting engineering innovations and solutions among current and future engineers.

In collaboration with the International Space School Education Trust (ISSET), a UNESCO partner, Mission Discovery aims to use space as a vehicle to inspire and educate students between the ages of 13 and 18 on space science through hands-on training. The programme includes a competition that allows students to design projects to be implemented in space. This programme will not only enhance the students’ soft skills but also encourage students, especially young girls, to consider career opportunities in STEM.

During this week-long event, the students are split into groups. At the start of the week, the teams undergo various teamwork exercises to develop their leadership, team building, and personal development skills. On day 2, they will be introduced to their Mission Brief to design an experiment to benefit humankind, on or off the planet, and benefit from being conducted in micro-gravity.

Mission Discovery aims to help underprivileged students around the world, giving them a pathway to successful careers.

In collaboration with Unitrain Education and Technology, a UNESCO partner, the Youth Competence Development Project aims to build capacity in science and engineering among young people and raise awareness of the links between basic sciences, engineering and the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). The project provides SDGs-based training (SGDT) and capacity-building activities worldwide. It includes a UN SDGs Creative Contest & Sustainable Design Contest Forum at the global level for youth, and leadership training for youth in UNESCO Member States.