Change Maker

James Norman, award-winning engineer, author and Professor of Sustainable Design at the University of Bristol, explores the role of ethics in engineering, the importance of supply chains, and how his students inspired his journey with Engineers Without Borders UK.

What first inspired you to become an engineer?

I think it started as a teenager – I was quite aware of homelessness in my city and volunteered at a soup kitchen. That made me want to do something that would help people. Later, I did a Model United Nations and it got me thinking about the global impact of engineering. I thought I’d become a water engineer – because access to water and sanitation has such a huge impact on people’s lives. But when I studied engineering at university, I realised I was more interested in structures – so that’s where I ended up.

How have you been involved with Engineers Without Borders UK?

My first connection came through the student group at the University of Bristol. They have a strong Chapter and approached me about projects they were working on. Over the years I’ve been involved in different ways – running workshops, collaborating on projects, and now supporting the Engineering for People Design Challenge. The highlight for me is seeing my students become ambassadors and stay involved with the organisation.

In June 2025 we worked with James and a group of educators to organise the Regenerative Design Education Anti-Conference. Find out more about the event here. 

What changes would you like to see in how future engineers are taught?

The main thing is that engineers should actually learn about ethics and the impact of their decisions. Every project – whether it’s a hospital or a house – creates both positive outcomes and negative impacts. Often, the people who benefit aren’t the ones who experience the worst effects – which might be felt elsewhere in the world, especially by poorer communities.

We need to go beyond just reducing harm. We need to ask: how can we create positive impact – not just in the place we’re building, but along our supply chains too? That means thinking about where materials come from, who’s affected, and how we can do better.

Watch this video that James produced for World Habitat Day, imagining what his local social-ecological environment might look like in 2050. 

What does being a globally responsible engineer mean to you?

To me, it’s about curiosity. Being curious about the impact of your work – not just on site, but across the whole supply chain. Right now, a lot of us don’t know where the materials we use come from, or what the social and environmental costs are. Sometimes we don’t want to know – because once you know, you have to act. But globally responsible engineers should be asking those difficult questions, even if the answers are uncomfortable.

What’s giving you hope about the future of engineering?

Hope is complicated – but I think I’m hopeful because I don’t think there’s another way to be. The future probably won’t be the best or the worst case – but something in between. In the middle of that mess, I believe there’ll be opportunities we can’t yet imagine, and I’m hopeful that people will be ready to take them.

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Header image by artist James McKay – taken from The Regenerative Structural Engineer by James Norman and Oliver Broadbent.