Practices for inserting sustainability in the engineering curriculum: evaluation of the literature and an international consortium of universities

This study evaluates the primary practices for inserting sustainability into the engineering curriculum. The research is based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and the results of an international consortium of universities. Seven practices were listed in the SLR. Six were incorporated into the QUALENV consortium. The most applied practice is the 'insertion of new curricular materials on sustainability in syllabi and disciplines', emphasising transversality. 'Sustainable transdisciplinary actions in the curriculum' was not identified in the consortium and neglected by the literature, although it was considered a fundamental practice. This study serves as a resource for universities to offer guidelines to align engineering courses with sustainability demands. The research results can support the main stakeholders in the discussion about the need for curricular changes to include sustainability in curricula, coordinators seeking to propose course improvements and professors who aim to incorporate the SDGs into their teaching practices.