Civil engineering courses are gaining popularity around the world as a way to teach children the basics of engineering and to get them engaged in the discipline.
However, the subject has been controversial, with critics saying they don’t give enough attention to social issues such as climate change and inequality, while others say they are harmful to developing nations.
Civil engineering, which includes engineering as a social, environmental and political justice issue, is a critical component of education for many countries, but the education is often poorly integrated and many countries do not even have enough civil engineering training.
Civil engineers are required to have a degree in civil engineering, but there is a shortage of qualified candidates.
In 2016, the UN launched the World Civil Engineering Research Programme, or WCERP, to encourage civil engineers to enter academia and pursue research in their chosen field.
The programme aims to help ensure that civil engineers are adequately trained and have the tools to tackle complex engineering problems, such as water management and wastewater treatment, in all corners of the world.
This article was written by James T. Kowalski, a graduate of the University of Michigan and the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Energy Systems Research Center.
He can be reached at [email protected]
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