In an article for Times Higher Education, Tim Ibell (University of Bath) underlines that if engineering is to make a positive impact on the planet, the profession must attract holistically-thinking “carers.” Ibell argues that engineers are able to make the world better, just as doctors and nurses can make people better. To change perceptions and make this possible, however, the author suggests that engineering departments need to expand the set of attributes they are looking for during their student recruitment process. “Entry requirements must put far more emphasis on a holistic outlook, a caring mindset and a desire to want to change,” concludes Ibell, “and less on an ability to solve differential equations.”
