EE2066Engineers in Society

What you will study

Course overview and aims

Students will gain knowledge about the obligations, roles and professional conduct of engineers in a modern society. It stimulates students to develop a basic awareness of the legal, environmental and socio-economic factors that have a significant impact on engineering design. Students will analyze these factors, evaluate professional responsibilities, apply critical thinking to real-world scenarios, and develop an understanding of ethical considerations in engineering practice. Industry professionals are invited to deliver some of the lectures, aiming to provide students with an understanding of social analysis adequate for the society in which they will work. Through engaging with lectures, case studies, and guest speaker sessions, students will cultivate insights into the social dimensions of engineering, equipping them to become responsible professionals capable of addressing the challenges in our rapidly evolving world.

Keyword syllabus

1.1 Introduction to Local Industry Overview of electronics, materials and IT industries in Hong Kong, and mainland China. The interaction and link of local industry with Pearl River Delta, and Greater China, Asia Pacific Region, Europe, North America and other newly industrialized countries. Current socio-economic issues in local industry, and its impact on engineering and manufacturing technology. 1.2 Society and Engineering Economic, political and social structure of Hong Kong in relation to engineering activities. Role and obligation of an engineer towards society. Impact of engineering on societal development. 1.3 Product Engineering and Innovation Quality assurance practices in Hong Kong and international standards. Product engineering skills: integration of design, research, development, production, marketing and sales. Technology transfer and management of intellectual property. Market competition: price, quality, delivery, product differentiation, and technological advantage. 1.4 Business and Entrepreneurship for Engineers Product life cycle and market synamics. Fundamental elements of business in engineering sector. Sales / Marketing management for technical products. Entrepreneurship and start-up considerations for engineers. 1.5 Professional Ethics and Conduct Professional ethics for engineers. Ethical decision-making frameworks. Case studies on illegal advantages, confidential information, conflicts of interest, and other ethical dilemmas in engineering practice. 1.6 Health, Safety, and Environmental Responsibilities Engineer’s duties for securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work. Controlling dangerous substances and emissions. Environmental impact assessment and mitigation strategies. 1.7 Sustainable Engineering Practices Principles of sustainable design, life cycle assessment, and circular economy concepts in engineering. Methods, products, and technologies to reduce, reuse, and recycle industrial wastes. On-site waste treatment and reuse strategies. Case studies in sustainable engineering. 1.8 Professional Career Advising Industry professional talks on career development. SWOT analysis, manpower demand in the field. Graduate employment survey data. Continuing professional development and pathways to professional engineering registration. 1.9 Emerging Technologies and Societal Impact Discussion on AI, IoT, blockchain, and other emerging technologies and their societal implications. Analysis of their societal, ethical, and economic implications. Responsible innovation practices. 1.10 Global Engineering Challenges Analysis of major global issues such as climate change, urbanization, and resource scarcity from an engineering perspective. Role of engineers in addressing these challenges. International collaboration in engineering projects.

Official PDF, pages 4–5 · Keyword Syllabus

Intended learning outcomes

View learning outcomes

CILO	Intended learning outcome	Weight	DEC
1	Analyze the socio-economic and technological issues relating to local and global industries, including worldwide technology trends and innovation.	—	DEC-A1, DEC-A2
2	Evaluate the impact of technology on society, economy, and the environment, while implementing principles of environmental protection, health, and safety in engineering practice.	—	DEC-A1, DEC-A2
3	Apply principles of engineering design, effective presentation, and entrepreneurial thinking in professional contexts.	—	DEC-A1, DEC-A2
4	Examine and resolve ethical dilemmas using professional codes of conduct in the context of contemporary science and technology.	—	DEC-A1, DEC-A2

Official PDF, page 2 · Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

Before you take this course

Check prerequisites, precursors and corequisites separately, together with equivalence and exclusion conditions. “and” means conditions must be met together; “or” marks alternatives. Read combined conditions in the groupings shown in the original text below.

Prerequisites

Nil

Precursors

Nil

Corequisites

This edition of the official syllabus does not state this item.

Additional course requirements

This edition of the official syllabus does not state this item.

Equivalent courses and conditions

EE3012 Engineers in Society

Exclusive courses and conditions

Nil

Assessment and passing the course

Assessment

Continuous assessment: 70%; Examination: 30%; Examination duration: 2 hours

Assessment breakdown

Assessment task	Weight	Generative AI	Remarks and restrictions
TestsCILO 1, 2, 3, 4	20%	No	-
AssignmentsCILO 1, 2, 3, 4	50%	Yes	GenAI tools can be utilized to support reflective writing assignments and to facilitate idea generation in group projects. Students are expected to appropriately acknowledge any use of GenAI tools in their assessment tasks.

Official PDF, page 3 · Assessment Tasks / Activities (ATs)

View the original assessment table and instructions

Assessment Tasks / Activities (ATs)
                      ATs                CILO No.             Weighting (%)       Remarks ("-" for   Allow Use of
                                                                                  nil entry)         GenAI?
1                     Tests (min.: 2)    1, 2, 3, 4           20                  -                  No
2                     #Assignments       1, 2, 3, 4           50                  GenAI tools can be Yes
                      (min.: 5)                                                   utilized to support
                                                                                  reflective writing
                                                                                  assignments and
                                                                                  to facilitate idea
                                                                                  generation in
                                                                                  group projects.
                                                                                  Students are
                                                                                  expected to
                                                                                  appropriately
                                                                                  acknowledge any
                                                                                  use of GenAI tools
                                                                                  in their assessment
                                                                                  tasks.

Passing requirements

Remark: To pass the course, students are required to achieve at least 30% in the coursework and 30% in the examination. # include individual technical report, group project presentation, and other components (e.g., in-class exercise and homework).