Bridging the Emotional Intelligence (EI) gap in engineering education and industry

Conventional engineering education often emphasizes technical ability above the transforming power of emotional intelligence (EI) in producing well-rounded, successful professionals. Integrating EI into engineering curricula remains a significant challenge as interdisciplinary collaboration becomes essential. This study adopts a phenomenological approach to examine how engineering faculty, employers, and students perceive and value EI in education and practice. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion, and methodological triangulation was used to confirm the findings. The findings identify five interconnected elements of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, empathy, and leadership, which improve ethical decision-making, inclusion, and collaboration. These results highlight the imperative of integrating emotional intelligence training into engineering education and professional development programs to prepare engineers for leadership positions, ethical decision-making, and the challenges of a dynamic, global industry.