Engineering for Change

Engineering for Change
Founded 2009
Founder American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Engineers Without Borders
Type International development and education Charity
Focus International development, Sustainable development, Appropriate technology, Open source, Health, Water, Sanitation, Architecture, Aid, Infrastructure and Education
Location
Area served
International
Method Online collaboration and Education
Members
c. 25,000
Key people
 President Noha El-Ghobashy
Employees
1 full-time, 4 part-time
Slogan Engineering for Change provides a forum to connect, collaborate, solve challenges and share knowledge among a growing community of engineers, technologists, social scientists, NGOs, local governments and community advocates, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life all over the world.
Website engineeringforchange.org

Engineering for Change (E4C) is an online platform and international community of engineers, scientists, non-governmental organizations, local community advocates and other innovators working to solve global development problems. The organization's founders are the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders USA. E4C facilitates the development of affordable, locally appropriate and sustainable solutions to the most pressing humanitarian challenges and shares them freely online as a form of open source appropriate technology.

Members of the E4C community use the platform's online tools to share knowledge and collaborate. They work together to design and apply technical solutions wherever they see the need. Solutions fall into seven categories on the organization's Web site, and they can include big infrastructural projects such as community water purification and bridge building, or smaller, personal technologies such as bicycle-powered electricity generators and cellphone applications for healthcare.

History

In 2009, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers created a website to pull together the disparate sources of information on appropriate technology and solutions in global development. The site aggregated information, hosted a library of often little-known technologies, and offered tools to enable collaboration among development teams worldwide. Throughout 2010, the site operated in alpha and then beta with a mostly closed group of users. A public site, at engineeringforchange.info, mirrored some of the content on the test site, but without all of its functionality. IEEE and EWB-USA signed on as partners in time for the public launch on January 4, 2011.[1]

At present, the organization has more than 25,000 members. Many of them are also members of the founding organizations, which have a combined membership of more than 500,000.

Solutions Library

E4C users can post projects they are working on and challenges they are having to gain insight from the wider community. They can use an open-source archive of solutions to development issues that include models for development projects, tested devices and other information gleaned from global organizations. The members can learn how to use their skills in developing countries and resource-poor areas from experts in their fields.[2] They can also track the projects that interest and contribute their own advice and information.

Education

Education is an important part of Engineering for Change. The Web site provides educational materials on how to design and implement solutions, and an archive of relevant academic programs.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A Design Tool Whose Time Has Come". nextbillion.net. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  2. ↑ "Solutions Library". E4C. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  3. ↑ "Learning Center". E4C. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
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