Domineering Engineering:  Decolonizing Engineering for the Climate Crisis

Conference on Sustainability in Engineering (CSE) Case Competition

The University of British Columbia, 2023 Case Competition Winner

I had the privilege of representing the University of Ottawa over 3 days at the Conference on Sustainability in Engineering (CSE) hosted by the The University of British Columbia to earning from change-makers about social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Competing in a case study focused on designing a strategic development proposal which targeted a decolonized and values-based approach to coastal adaption in response to sea level rise along the Vancouver shoreline was an absolute highlight of this experience.

In our approach specific to coastal adaptation reacting to rising sea levels caused by our current climate crisis, our team emphasized the dissection of colonially influenced solutionizing rooted in Classical Mechanistic World Views, as explored by Dr. Usprech at CSE. Applying Systems Beings and Living Systems World View lenses as presented by Alex Hutton, Dr. Ellis and Dr. Gladwin at CSE, our goal consisted evolving current inherent potential to reflect an engagement process which decolonizes existing engineering paradigms and integrates co-creation and two-eyed seeing.

My team emphasized evolving current inherent potential to reflect an engagement process which decolonizes existing engineering paradigms and integrates co-creation and two-eyed seeing. After an intense and exciting research, development and presentation period our team placed as one of three first-place teams.