Instilling Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering Education and Practice – The National Academies’ CESER Advisory Committee (Work in Progress, Examinations of Ethical Engineering/Environmental & Sustainability Concerns)

Abstract This Work-in-Progress will address the intent and initial work of the Cultural, Ethical, Social and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering (CESER) program, an initiative that the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) began in late 2023. The program—which was motivated by a desire to instill a culture of ethical and environmental responsibility in engineering—builds on NAE's long-standing commitment to the socially-responsible practice of engineering exemplified by two predecessor programs, the Center for Engineering Ethics and Society, and the Online Ethics Center. CESER is animated by two goals: to seamlessly integrate cultural, ethical, social, and environmental responsibility considerations into the practice of engineering, and to raise awareness of how engineering design and the engineering mindset can responsibly contribute to addressing society's greatest challenges. The program aims to expand the understanding of how cultural, ethical, and social circumstances, and the environment affect and are affected by the practice of engineering and draw attention to these issues through engagement with engineers, educators, industry leaders, professional societies, governmental entities, and the general public. The program's advisory committee is composed of national thought leaders in these topics from academia, the public sector, and industry. It is, as of late 2023, developing its mission and vision statements and formulating its initial projects, which are anticipated to include webcasts, workshops, and collaborations with the National Academies' Committee on Human Rights and with sister academies of engineering. The paper will expand on the program's overall ambitions and objectives, give an update on its current activities, and identify opportunities for collaboration and contribution to its work; the conference presentation will additionally seek attendees' perspectives on areas for future focus and opportunities to raise the visibility of these crucial issues in engineering education and practice.