Purpose of the book and editorial perspectives

Abstract

Engineering and engineering education play an essential role in the Middle East. Global debates regarding roles of engineering and required transformations in engineering education have been extensive during the past few years. The past decade has witnessed the emergence of engineering education research as an independent field, led by tremendous investment in the USA. Some institutions have started embracing radical and transformative approaches to engineering education and curriculum design driven by recent research findings and pressing national needs, for example, Georgia Tech., Olin College, and Singapore University of Technology and Design. Parallel to this, engineering education in the Middle East has witnessed significant shifts, both quantitatively and qualitatively. For instance, many national institutions have standardized their curricula through Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation, many international universities have opened branch campuses in various Middle Eastern countries, and the number of new universities is rapidly increasing in many countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates). Furthermore, engineering continues to be a preferred higher education choice for a significant portion of Middle Eastern students compared to the trends currently witnessed in the West. Nevertheless, apart from seeking ABET accreditation, efforts to innovate in engineering curricula and/or adopt/adapt novel approaches in the Middle East seem to be isolated, and depend, to a large extent, on instructorsbchoice.