PENG9100 Engineering Science and Ethics Course description

The goal of this course is to help students reflect over ethical dilemmas so that they make sound ethical choices throughout their doctoral studies and future careers. This course gives the students insight via relevant example projects from the spectrum of disciplines within engineering science including mathematics, physics, computer science, eletrical engineering, built engineerng and product design. Students will reflect on key philosophical questions related the explicit and implicit premises within their field as they relate to epistemology, methodology, ethics and history. The examples will expose the students to the full complexity of engineering projects, where ethical dilemmas and sustainability issues form the planning and execution of the project as well as the final product.

The course will be offered once a year, provided 3 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 3 students sign up for a course, the course will be cancelled for that year.

Admission requirements.

None.

Knowledge:

On successful completion of the course, the student:

• can account for the terminology and models related to ethics in engineering science
• has thorough knowledge of the requirements and standards for registration, processing, and storage of information about of participants in scientific research
• has a deep understanding of the role of scientific, societal and ethical values on their research.

Skills:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• present arguments and viewpoints relevant to ethical dilemmas prevalent in engineering science
• analyse and assess arguments relevant to ethics in engineering science in relation to their relevance and validity
• argue for solutions to ethical problems using theories and techniques relevant to engineering science
• deal with complex professional issues with an academic approach and reflect critically on established knowledge and practice in his/her own field in relation to sustainability, ethics and to other engineering disciplines
• reflect deeply on the nature of their research and its contribution to the production of knowledge

General competence:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• identify, discuss and reflect upon ethical and societal implications of his/her own research as well as of the applications they enable,
• reflect over values and ethical boundaries within engineering science

The course will consist of six gatherings. Each gathering will contain a mixture of lectures and student presentation of relevant academic papers and cases. Each presentation will be followed by in-class discussions.

The student will write four reflection notes on ethical and sustainability issues. One of these will be related to their doctoral thesis project. One or more of the reflection notes may form a basis for inclusion as a section on ethical reflection in the student's final doctoral thesis.

Each student must present two papers in class, one on a paper related to the ethics in their own project and one paper from the general reading list.

Attendance is compulsory with a minimum requirement of 80%.

The student must write four reflection notes each of minimum 1200 words and maximum 1500 words on topics that will be announced during the course.

All support material is allowed as long as source reference and quotation technique requirements are applied.

Pass or fail.

Two examiners. External examiners are used regularly.