Engineering Education for the Future: Challenges, Innovation and Reform

Dear Colleagues,

Engineering higher education is experiencing unprecedented transformation as technological innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), digitalization, and global societal challenges reshape the competencies required of future engineers. Institutions worldwide are under increasing pressure to modernize curricula, adopt innovative pedagogical approaches, and prepare graduates who possess not only technical expertise but also interdisciplinary thinking, ethical responsibility, and the ability to address complex sociotechnical problems. At the same time, persistent challenges—including high STEM attrition, unequal access to digital learning opportunities, faculty readiness for AI-enhanced education, and the widening gap between academic preparation and rapidly evolving industry needs—continue to hinder educational effectiveness and equity.

These challenges present significant opportunities to rethink engineering education through evidence-based reforms and innovative practices. Emerging technologies, learner-centered pedagogies, competency-based curriculum design, and stronger collaboration between academia and industry are creating new pathways for enhancing student engagement, learning outcomes, and graduate employability. As engineering education evolves to support sustainable development and digital transformation, there is a growing need for research that explores how institutions can balance technical depth with interdisciplinary agility, AI literacy, ethical awareness, and inclusive educational practices. Advancing knowledge in these areas is therefore both timely and essential for informing educational policy, institutional strategy, and engineering practice worldwide.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to persistent challenges, reform pathways, and innovative practices in engineering higher education. We welcome the submission of original research articles, systematic reviews, case studies, and perspectives that contribute to the understanding and improvement of engineering education across diverse institutional and geographical contexts.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Artificial intelligence and digital transformation in engineering education;
• Innovative pedagogies, active learning, and collaborative learning environments;
• Assessment and evaluation in the age of generative AI;
• Curriculum innovation and competency-based engineering education;
• AI literacy, digital competencies, and future-ready engineering skills;
• Ethics, sustainability, and responsible engineering education;
• Interdisciplinary and sociotechnical approaches to engineering education;
• STEM student recruitment, retention, success, and wellbeing;
• Equity, inclusion, and accessibility in engineering education;
• Faculty development and institutional transformation for educational innovation;
• Industry–academia collaboration and work-integrated learning;
• Engineering education for sustainable development and societal impact.

By bringing together diverse perspectives from researchers, educators, policymakers, and industry professionals, this Special Issue seeks to foster meaningful dialogue and disseminate innovative approaches that contribute to the future of engineering education and the preparation of engineers equipped to address the complex challenges of the twenty-first century.

Dr. Jorge Mendonça
Prof. Dr. Marina Sousa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• engineering higher education
• engineering education
• artificial intelligence in education
• generative AI
• digital transformation
• curriculum innovation
• future-ready engineers
• engineering competencies
• STEM Education
• student success
• inclusive engineering education
• sustainable engineering education