Engineering a better world Saving the World One 4 th Year at a Time Jeremy Smith or The EWB Undergraduate Research Program Undergraduate Research Coordinator.

engineering a better world

Saving the World One 4th Year at a Time

Jeremy Smith

or

The EWB Undergraduate Research Program

Undergraduate Research CoordinatorEngineers Without Borders Australia (EWB)

EWB Australia’s Mission

Engineers Without Borders Australia works to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged

communities, both within Australia and overseas, through

sustainable, appropriate engineering projects.

EWB’s vision is of a world where every individual and community

has adequate access to the resources, knowledge and

technology necessary to meet their self identified human

needs.

What does EWB do?

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

AWARENESS / EDUCATIONPROGRAMS

Volunteer International Placements (VIPs)

Technical Assistance Networks (TANs)

Local Initiative Projects (LIPs)

Schools

Universities

Companies / Industry

Engineering Profession

EWB Members

Public

EWB Programs

Technical Sectors

• Water & sanitation

• ICT

• Appropriate energy

• Disability access

• Land / Agriculture

• Infrastructure

Australia

Cambodia

East Timor

India

Nepal

Indonesia

Laos

PNG

EWB Education

• Aiming to achieve learning and change

• The Education Team works to:

– increase and diversify the level of information, knowledge and awareness

among its members

– improve the understanding of the role of engineering in sustainable

development and poverty eradication

– educate members on the skills required for sustainable community

development

– create career paths and opportunities for those who want to move into

the area of engineering in development

– focus on community identified needs

– feed back outcomes to communities through the Programs-Community

interface

Undergraduate Research

• In 2006 and 2007 started to engage with final year

engineering students through their individual or honours

research projects

• Undertook a small number of pilot projects with students

working in Australia on topics focused on EWB’s community

work (including 2 at the DE)

• Projects generated outcomes for all partners; students,

communities, EWB, universities

• Decided to develop a complete, structured Program

Undergraduate Research Program

Program Aims

• Research on immediate and long term community needs• Provide additional resources, experience and research

capacity to community partners• Facilitate the exchange and transfer of ideas, experience,

skills, technology and resources between EWB, Australian research institutes and project partners

• Expose undergraduate students to real world issues and challenges, to further develop their skills and expertise

• Provide a framework for direct implementation of outcomes• Build the capacity and experience of EWB’s members and

partners• Inform EWB’s planning, processes and program delivery• Facilitate university engagement in community development

Case Study - Previous Project

• Design for a solar-powered water pumping system for remote villages

– identified as a need by EWB community partner in Nepal

– student based here at DE

– developed a series of questions for EWB field volunteer

– student completed requirements, evaluation framework and concept design

– outcomes delivered to the partner

– one element is now in prototype field testing

– graduate keen to undertaken volunteer position with that community (application of research and experience)

Project Pipeline

TANs

Returned Volunteers

Community Partners

EWB Teams

Chapters

Partner NGOs

Partner Universities

EWB

Undergraduate

Research

Program

Project

Outcomes

Volunteers, Presentations, Outcomes, …

2009 ProjectsProject Title Field / Area Country Focus Technical Stream Style

Alternate Energy Storage Technologies for Remote PV Systems

Mechanical / Systems Engineering

Nepal Energy Research

Improved Design for a Collapsible Solar Cooker for Emergency Relief

Mechanical / Energy Engineering

Energy Design and Build

Approaches to Knowledge and Technology Transfer for Engineering Community Development Projects

Management / Systems Engineering

TBC Project Delivery Research

Options for Sanitation and Human Waste for Floating and Stilted Latrines

Environmental / Civil Engineering

Cambodia Watsan Design

Emerging Technologies for Sanitation and Human Waste in Developing Communities

Environmental Engineering Cambodia Watsan Research

Disposal and Management of Waste Batteries from Solar PV Systems

Environmental / Electrical Engineering

Nepal Energy Research

Approaches to Service-Learning with Community-based Partner Organisations in Engineering Education

Education Australia Education Research

Monitoring and Evaluation of EWB’s Indigenous Australia Projects

Social Science / Studies Indigenous Australia

Project Delivery Research

Framework to Evaluate Designs for Disability Access for Floating and Stilted Latrines

Civil / Environmental Engineering

Cambodia Watsan / Disability Access

Design

Refinement of Ecological Sanitation Toilet Design in Nepal Environmental / Civil Engineering

Nepal Watsan Design

Sand Water Filter Design Environmental Engineering Indonesia Watsan Design

Improved method for crushing clay bricks and laterite for use in water ceramic filters

Mechanical Engineering Cambodia Watsan Design

Program Status

• Over the last 6 weeks the projects, covering 4 countries and 5

community partners, have been offered to students and

universities around Australia

• Each project will have a university academic supervisor and

an EWB identified advisor

• Generated significant interest among students and partners

• Students keen to work on a ‘real’ project that can have impact

• Plans to expand the number of projects over the next two

years and offer a small number of travel scholarships

• The Program will be officially launched as a nation-wide

initiative at the EWB Conference later this month

Program Outcomes

• Program provides real learning outcomes that impact on both the students’ professional and personal life

• Alumni from the Program have or are currently working on engineering development projects in:

– Mongolia

– Bangladesh

– Indonesia

– Derby, WA

I am proud to be an engineer and be involved with a great organisation like EWB. [The conference] really changed what I want to do as an engineer

engineering a better world

Questions?

The 4 C’s to Development

1.Conscious

Unaware

Informed

2.Concerned

3.Comprehend

4.Challenge

Effective

1. Become aware of the plight of disadvantaged communities

around the world

2. Care about the issues of sustainable

development3. Understand the

complexities of development and knowing how to change

good intentions into meaningful impact

4. Be challenged to make a difference,

commit to actions that will work responsibly

towards a better world

Project Process

EWB Project Identification and Scoping

University Project

Identification and Scoping

Review Projects for

Resources and Inclusion

Allocate Projects to Universities

and Students

EWB Resources,

Tracking and Supervision

Students Undertake Projects

Capture and Dissemination

of Project Outcomes

Identify and Assemble EWB Resources and

Support

Identification Allocation Monitoring Dissemination

University Academic

Supervision

Project Roles

Student

EWB Advisor / Field Volunteer

Partner

EWB

UniversitySupervisor

Framework

• Project topics directly relate to EWB’s community work

• Enhance undergraduate education

• Provides additional resources, knowledge and benefit to

community partners

• Builds the capacity of EWB members and partners

• Helps to inform EWB planning, processes and program

delivery

Program Outcomes

• Direct research outcomes from students (thesis, reports, presentations, …)

• Outcomes, recommendations and conclusions for community partners

• Capacity within EWB• The students themselves

Outline (slide to be removed)

• EWB Overview• Program Background• Program Aims• Framework• Example• Outcomes

– capturing, disseminating, implementing– students