The contribution of humanitarian engineering to outreach projects

Abstract

Engineering is intrinsically linked to the development of humanity. Professional training at universities encompasses theory, practice, and engagement with real-world situations, all of which must be articulated within a structured framework for the professional and personal development of future engineers. How do the core functions of university life fit together in an academic environment connected to reality? Strategies and their indicators are key to reflecting the university's connection to reality. This work aims to analyze the academic system of an educational unit in Earth sciences through the framework of teaching, research, and community engagement to provide comprehensive training for its students. The applied method focuses on community engagement activities through programs, projects, and interventions within the faculty of Earth sciences, considering diverse indicators of participation and efficiency to support analysis and the proposal of humanitarian engineering. The results reflect the participation of 80 students annually in community-based internships of varying industrial and productive nature, with tangible and intangible outcomes. The conjunction of teacher, student, and community transforms the third substantive function into a unique, dynamic school with diverse projections in engineering design, nature-based solutions, the rescue of ancestral recognition, association, and organization for production, and always with the nuance of humanitarian engineering.