SEFI Ethics Spring Symposium Brings Global Engineering Ethics Educators Together at TU Dublin
From March 24-26, 2025, delegates from around the world gathered at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, for the SEFI Ethics Spring Symposium. Hosted by TU Dublin's Professor Shannon Chance on behalf of the School of Architecture, Building and Environment Research (SABER) group and the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), the symposium focused on strengthening community capacity in engineering ethics education. The event welcomed educators and researchers from diverse backgrounds and career stages to celebrate and strategise on applying and expanding themes from The Routledge International Handbook of Engineering Ethics Education (RIHEEE).
A Dynamic Three-Day Program
The symposium featured an extensive program, including keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and insightful panel discussions. Notable keynote speakers addressed critical ethical topics:
- Mary Nolan: Care Ethics
- Paula Tomi: Truth
- Tom Børsen: Techno-Anthropology and Engineering Ethics Education
Interactive workshops covered specialised areas such as:
- Care Ethics
- AI Experimental Philosophy
- The Archimedean Oath
- Quantitative Methods & Ethics
Panel discussions examined key areas including foundational aspects, interdisciplinary perspectives, discipline-specific approaches, teaching methodologies, assessment strategies, and accreditation in engineering ethics education. These panels sought to gather insights from educators and administrators on how to enhance the impact of ethical engineering education materials.
Exploring Key Questions
Panellists were asked to evaluate the content of RIHEEE by considering:
- What patterns can be identified?
- What areas are well-covered, and what gaps remain?
- How can the material be made more appealing and useful for educators and university administrators?
- What steps should the community take to apply or expand upon these themes?
A Unique Cultural Highlight
A special feature of the event was Roland Tormey's literary walking tour of Dún Laoghaire, offering participants an opportunity to engage with the local cultural and historical context.
A Truly Global Gathering
The symposium brought together academics from across the world, including representatives from:
- Europe: Ireland, UK, Portugal, Hungary, Norway, Spain, Romania, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, France
- Asia: Japan
- Africa: South Africa
- North America: United States, Canada
- Institutions represented included: TU Dublin – 5, Norwegian University of Science and Technology – 2, POLITEHNICA Bucharest / ‘Politehnica’ Bucharest – 2, EPFL – 2, UCL / UCL Engineering – 2, Dublin City University – 2, University of Michigan – 1, University of Minho – 1, Budapest University of Economics and Technology – 1, ATU (Atlantic Technological University) – 1, University of Alicante – 1, University of Toronto – 1, Aalborg University – 1, Ghent University – 1, TEDI-London/ KLH Sustainability – 1, Atlantic Technological University Sligo & UCD – 1, Ottawa – 1, University of Cape Town – 1, University of Florida – 1, Institut Supérieur de Design (Saint-Malo) – 1, Toyohashi University of Technology – 1, Military Academy of Technology – 1, Institut de Philosophie de Grenoble – 1 & Engineers Ireland – 1
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to the TU Dublin community members who played a crucial role in ensuring the event's success: Sandra Cruz Moreno, Katherine Looby, Marek Rebow, Rachel Harding, Mike Murphy, and PhD graduates Diana Adela Martin and Darren Carthy. Their contributions helped create an engaging and impactful symposium.
The SEFI Ethics Spring Symposium 2025 was a resounding success, fostering collaboration, discussion, and forward-thinking strategies to enhance engineering ethics education globally.