EngineeringEthicsBeginsinUniversityEducationIntroductionThetimeswearelivingnowfeaturesinnovationandoriginality.Engineeringisaprofessionthatlinksvariousinventionstocommonpeople.Needlesstosay,withitsvitalroleinthesocietythisprofessiondemandsitspractitionerstobetechnically,andevenscientifically,competent,asengineersaredevelopingnewproducts,producingthemand/orservingtheirclientswiththeirexpertise.However,technicalexpertisealonedoesnotmakeagoodengineer,andtheprofessionalmoralityandresponsibilityofengineers,whichhaslongbeenneglectedinuniversityeducation,isalsoanindispensablecomponent.Didier(1999)approachestotheissueofengineeringethicsfromahistoricalperspective,comparingtheethicalprofessionalengineeringpracticesintheUnitedStates,GermanyandFrance,andmentionstheabsenceofethicaleducationinengineeringcurricula.Johnstonetal(2000),ontheotherhand,touchupon“thesocialimpactandinternationalandglobalnatureofengineeringpracticeandoutlinethenecessaryeducationalchangestomeetthesocialandethicalchallengesofthisprofession.Thispaperbrieflyticksoffsomefundamentalknowledgeofengineeringethics,andtriestodiscusssomeacademicpracticesinuniversityengineeringeducationthatareconducivetoorhinderingthedevelopmentofengineeringethics.EngineeringEthicsAccordingtoDavisonandKock(2004),“professionalEthicsconcernsone'sconductofbehaviorandpracticewhencarryingoutprofessionalwork.”Thereareagreatmanyprofessionalbodiesthroughouttheworldthatputforwardimportantinstitutionalized“codesofconductandcodesofpractice”fortheirmemberstofollow.Inmanycounties,medicalethics,legalethicsandbusinessethicsarerepeatedlydiscussedbythepublicandevenregardedcompulsorytothepractitioners.Engineeringethicshasalsobeenbecominganincreasingconcernoverthepastdecades,duringwhichtheworldwitnessedsomemomentouseventslikestratosphericozonedepletion,cloningtechnology,theChallengerdisasterandsoon,whicharecloselyrelatedtotheissueofengineeringethics.ProfessionalbodiesofengineeringliketheUSprofessionalengineeringassociations,theGermanAssociationofEngineersandtheInstitutionofEngineers,Australia,aregettingmoreactive.Engineeringcodesofethicsvarybydifferentculturesandmightstillremaincontroversial.Neverthelesssomecodesarebelievedtobeuniversal.Forthesakeoftheirprofessionalintegrity,honoranddignity,anengineerisexpectedtousetheirknowledgeandskillstoenhancehumanwelfare;behonest,loyalandimpartialservingthepublic,theiremployersandclients;improvetheirprofessionalcompetenceandprestige;andworkundertheguidanceoftheirprofessionalsocieties.Anexamplecouldbewhereanengineer,whoknowstheperformanceandusingprecautionsofcertainproductsperfectlywell,doeshisbesttoovervaluetheperformanceofsomegoodsbuthesitatestoprovidetheprecautionsbeforepotentialcustomerssoastogetthemintobuyingtheproducts.Whattheybearinmindisonlytheircorporateinterestandtheirpersonalbenefits,asisagainsttheirprofessionalintegrityandimpartiality.Exampleslikethisonethatconcernsknowledgesharingarenumerous.Inajournaleditorial,Elliot(2004)addressestheissueofknowledgeandinformationsharingandenumeratesagreatmanycasesincorporatesettingthatmake“thedifferencebetweenahealthycompanyandacompanythatwillhavetolayoffpeopleorclosesitsdooraltogether-whichcouldendupbeingdecidedlygraveforindividuals,familiesandthecommunity.”EthicsinUniversityEducationThechallengesofengineeringethicsintheprofessionalworkthesedaysthatengineeringethi...