Delivered in collaboration with AzuKo, this month-long virtual design challenge is returning for a second year to provide student and professional participants from around the world with a unique opportunity to reshape how engineering is taught and practised to ensure a safe and just future for all.

Intended for those with and without engineering expertise, participants will tackle a real-world brief that will facilitate a deeper and broader understanding of the impacts of engineering and the approaches for putting global responsibility at the heart of all we do.

What will I gain?

Throughout February 2023, you will be taken on a learning journey that will deepen your understanding of sector-wide challenges, enhance your ability to collaboratively solve real-world problems using the engineering design process, and encourage critical reflection on your own responsibility to drive change.

Alongside providing an opportunity to collaborate with similarly passionate individuals, each team will be assigned a professional mentor with expertise in globally responsible engineering approaches, who will provide guidance and feedback throughout the design process. Your designs will then be assessed by a panel of expert judges who are already leading change in the sector.

The challenge also provides a unique opportunity to vision, scope and influence cross-sector initiatives, with some previous designs being taken forward by participating companies.

“I learned a lot about bringing together a big picture idea […] Often clients come to us and they say I have this very specific thing that’s broken and needs fixing […] It was nice to step outside of that design process and think about holistic solutions and also think about how to craft a solution for a problem that’s not so specific, that was a learning exercise for me.”

– Reshaping Engineering 2022 winner, Erika

Hear more from last year’s winning team.

What do I need to do?

To participate in this unique professional development opportunity, you will need to commit approximately 4-5 hours of your time per week from Monday 23 January to Friday 3 March (around 20 hours in total). This time will include both live and asynchronous sessions led by Engineers Without Borders UK and our collaborators. All sessions will be recorded to ensure all participants are able to access the content.

We encourage participants who are in employment to consider how this opportunity could contribute to Chartership or CPD Accreditation, and to explore with your employer how the challenge could be embedded in your day-to-day work.

Following registration, participants will be assigned teams consisting of either students or professionals (as opposed to mixed teams). We work hard to ensure that teams are made up of individuals with diverse experience and expertise, as we consider this a critical part of the learning experience.

If you have any questions about the design challenge, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Key information:

  • Month-long virtual design challenge
  • Open to student and professional participants
  • Running from Monday 23 January – Friday 3 March
  • Results will be announced during the final event on Thursday 9 March
  • Approximately 4-5 hours per week required (around 20 hours in total)

Registration is now closed for the 2023 challenge.