Students to engineer a better future for disadvantaged

Almost 900 University of Queensland students will use their skills to help others when they take part in the inaugural Engineers Without Borders Australia Challenge.

The competition requires first-year engineers to create design solutions for the Uluru Children’s Home in Tamil Nadu, India, as they look at issues including water supply and quality, sanitation, and infrastructure development.

EWB director of Education, Training and Research Lizzie Webb said the challenge was designed to get young engineers thinking about the ways in which their work can help those less fortunate.

“Engineers have the skills to make a positive difference to the lives of many people and it is really important that the next generation of engineers has an understanding of the cultural, social and environmental issues associated with engineering projects, as well as the technical knowledge,” she said.

The competition concept was successfully trialled at UQ last year with students involved in an EWB program in East Timor.

Up to 1000 teams from Australia and New Zealand are involved in 2007 challenge, which has been integrated into first semester studies of the participating universities.

UQ head of the School of Engineering Professor Jim Litster said the University was proud to support the competition.

“The EWB Challenge provides students with an opportunity to use their developing engineering skills to create sustainable design solutions that make a real difference in the lives of others,” Professor Litster said.

Judged by a panel of experts, the winning team will take part in a study tour that includes a visit to the Uluru Children’s Home, which cares for destitute and abandoned children in a remote region of India. A total of $6,000 will be awarded to teams placing first, second and third in the competition, with the winners announced in December.

Engineers Without Borders Australia was founded in 2003 to help disadvantaged communities around the world through education and sustainable engineering initiatives.

More information about the EWB Challenge is available on their website.

Media: Lizzie Webb (0421 934 655, l.webb@ewb.org.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)