University of Sussex
The Global Design Challenge (GDC) module is compulsory for all first-year students studying Engineering, Informatics, and Product Design at the School of Engineering and Informatics, and students from the International Study Centre. It is one of the most valuable learning experiences for these students in their entire degrees and we are looking to expand it to other degree subjects. In terms of motivating students at Sussex, the contribution of Engineers in Business was crucial.
Around 400 students working in interdisciplinary teams of five members tackled real-world sustainable development problems during 20 to 24 January 2020. Each team developed a creative design solution based on design areas suggested by Engineers Without Borders UK.
Both faculty and management at Sussex believe that this module is a paradigm of what students need to learn in 2020 and would like to express their gratitude to Engineers in Business for their support.
Positive Feedback
The Engineers in Business prize fund of £3,000 for this year’s Global Design Challenge was vital to the way we organised the module at Sussex. More importantly, it encouraged the students to develop relevant skills such as integration of social, environmental and economic sustainability into the product design process, and to understand the importance of community consultation and involving users for the evaluation of products and designs.
Dr Blay Whitby, Module Convenor
University of Sussex