WORKSHOPS

One Week immersive workshop

READY TO CHANGE THE WORLD?

Humanitarian Engineering concerns itself with how engineers can improve the technological capacity in at-risk and disadvantaged communities. The International workshops on Humanitarian Engineering provides students from Texas A&M University at Qatar the opportunity to understand the global humanitarian aid and relief industry. The workshop enables students to formulate proposals for complex humanitarian problems and understand the ethical, cultural and social issues in humanitarian work. The workshop also aims to develop an appreciation among the students for the complex and ill-defined problems in humanitarian work. Qatari students work with graduate students and faculty from 12 European universities constitution the Network of Humanitarian Action (NOHA). Workshop participants learn about the normative and applied empirical dimensions of humanitariasm with a special focus on the role engineers can play in achieving humanitarian goals. Studnets also learn how to use engineering knowledge in developing rapid prototyping techniques for local anb global humanitarian initiatives. The workshops take place in Doha, Qatar and the Netherlands alternatively.

Ali Arshad, TAMUQ Student

"Going to this workshop made me see things differently. It taught me a lot about what engineers think people need versus what people actually need. There are many ways to help people.”

Rahaf Al Sa'di, TAMUQ Student

“It was very eye opening to look at the different aspects that contribute to problems around the world.”

WORKSHOP DESIGN

Pedagogy: Instructional Focus

Open ended instruction – possibility of multiple answers
Integrated learning – content and skills from multiple areas
Cooperative learning – Students working in small groups to achieve shared goals.
Systemic Thinking

Systematic thinking shifts the thinking pattern from ‘things’ to ‘processes’ by identifying connections and relationships. Such a method helps in integrating decision making with adaptive management techniques.

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Knowledge: Instructional Topics

Principles of Humanitarian Action and Engineering
Professional Ethics in Engineering and Humanitarian Action.
Advanced Scenario Planning – Manoa Technique
Human Constraints in Decision Making: Game Theory
Understanding social impacts of the earthquakes in Groningen
Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness: Qatar National Vision 2030
Understanding sustainability versus security
Cultural determinants of Resilience in Disasters and Inter-cultural communication
Rapid Prototyping in Humanitarian Innovation