The NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING GRAND CHALLENGES FOR ENGINEERING, created in 2008, presented an aspirational vision of what engineering needs to deliver to all people on the planet in the 21st century. In just 15 words, the vision it calls for is:
“Continuation of life on the planet,
making our world more sustainable, secure, healthy, and joyful.”
The century-spanning vision was based on 14 GOALS that the NAE recognized as necessary to deliver this vision in the 21st century
About the Program
The Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) includes five competencies that students must achieve to prepare to address these global challenges:
- Talent Competency: mentored research/creative experience on a Grand Challenge-like topic
- Multidisciplinary Competency: understanding of multidisciplinary engineering systems solutions developed through personal engagement
- Viable Business/Entrepreneurship Competency: understanding, preferably developed through experience, of the necessity of a viable business model for solution implementation
- Multicultural Competency: understanding different cultures, preferably through multicultural experiences, to ensure cultural acceptance of proposed engineering solutions
- Social Consciousness Competency: understanding that engineering solutions should primarily serve people and society reflecting social consciousness
Addressing any of the Grand Challenges for Engineering naturally spans multiple disciplines, and because solutions are implemented differently in different parts of the world, the program prepares students to think in international terms and to develop globally relevant perspectives and skills.
Students who complete the GCSP will be recognized by both George Mason University and the National Academy of Engineering as Grand Challenges Scholars.
For more information, please contact us at gcsp@gmu.edu.