13th Engineering for People Design Challenge launches

Open to universities from across the world, the Engineering for People Design Challenge encourages undergraduates to develop greater awareness of the impacts that engineering can have on society and the environment.

The 2023/24 challenge has been set in partnership with Engineers Without Borders Australia and their engineering team in Cambodia. The design brief this year asks students to consider the engineering challenges and opportunities arising in the rural village of Pu Ngaol, situated in the forested hills of Mondulkiri Province in eastern Cambodia. For the first time, participants are being given access to an interactive map, which will help them to immerse themselves in the challenge location.

Tom Whitehead, programme manager at Engineers Without Borders UK, said: “Our real-life design project provides a platform for students to truly understand how to develop engineering skills with a globally responsible mindset and place people at the heart of their designs.”

Sai Rupa Dev, the challenge program lead at Engineers Without Borders Australia, said: “This year, we are asking students to develop engineering solutions that will support Engineers Without Borders Australia’s work on the ground in Cambodia as we seek to engineer a world where technology benefits all. The new interactive map will give students an opportunity to take a place-based approach to their designs and better understand the environment in which the community lives, while the recorded interviews with both Pu Ngaol residents and our team will support students to develop an understanding of the community’s concerns, challenges and aspirations.”

To date, the Design Challenge has reached over 70,000 undergraduate students across Cameroon, South Africa, UK, Ireland and the USA. The 2023/24 Challenge will be delivered to more than 40 institutions in these regions.

Educators from each institution will review their students’ submissions with the top five from each university going forward to be reviewed by industry volunteers. The top teams will then be invited to present their solutions at the Grand Finals in a bid to win the Grand Prize of an educational bursary. The runner-up and the People’s Prize winners will also receive an educational bursary to share between them.

To find out how to get involved with the Engineering for People Design Challenge 2023/24, visit www.engineering-for-people.org