Globalized Knowledge and Localized Practice : A Curated Literature Overview on the Mobility of Engineering Education

This book takes the point of departure of how engineering education shapes engineering identity via knowledge transfer and technology diffusion practice. The theoretical inspiration anchors in the notion of “epistemic mobility” in that transnational engineering education can be seen as knowledge-making on the move. With this “hypothesis” in mind, the book identifies a theoretical gap regarding whether engineering education is an epistemic phenomenon. 

It also explores the theoretical challenge of whether book can be regarded as “pragmatic,” as whether the notion of knowledge transfer – an economic term in general – can be appropriated with social and anthropological meanings. Hence, the development of engineering identity can be interpreted with such a cultural approach. This shapes a foundation to improve the understanding of engineering education with knowledge transfer and technology diffusion within and across universities and the broader society. Particularly, it fills the gap of seeing transitional engineering education in both global and local contexts. 

The book concludes that engineering education, knowledge transfer, and technology diffusion are “praxis” rather than merely “practice.” Praxis combines practice with reflections, leading to learning. Regarding transnational engineering education, such praxis is situated in the milieu of epistemic mobility. In this regard, this book makes synthetic sense of these domains in a transdisciplinary approach.