On November 6, an open forum titled “Technology with Soul: Role of Engineers” was held at Lee Min Hwa Hall in Alumni Venture Hall (N22). This forum was hosted in conjunction with the Embassy of the United States, Seoul. The main speaker for the event, Bernard Amadei, was invited by the United States Department of State to speak in this forum. He is a professor of civil engineering at University of Colorado, Boulder, and the founder of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

The forum commenced with the opening remarks from Professor Tae-Ho Song of the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering. He also serves as chief advisor of EWB-KAIST. Professor Song introduced the participants to recent accomplishments of EWB-KAIST in Nepal. EWB-KAIST designed basic necessities such as smokeless cooking stoves, pumping systems, and micro-hydro power plants. During the opening remarks, Professor Song highlighted the importance of bearing social responsibility for all aspiring scientists and engineers.

The opening remarks was followed by two keynote speeches from Professors Bernard Amadei and Hyun Joon Chang. Professor Amadei introduced EWB-USA’s mission on providing basic necessities to those in need. He questioned the current education system for engineers - whether new graduates have the tools necessary to make a difference in the world. Emphasizing the need for teaching engineering with a human face, Professor Amadei noted, “It is time for the engineering profession to embrace a new mindset, one that is based on change, based on innovation.”

Professor Hyun Joon Chang from KAIST Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management also expressed similar sentiments on issues in the Korean education system - that it should rigorously reflect social needs. “There is a mismatch in supply and demand of engineers,” said Professor Chang. Furthermore, instilling an ethical stance in engineering for greater societal benefit has become important amidst global challenges, such as environmental problems. In harmony with Professor Amadei’s call for changing the education system, Professor Chang also stressed the importance of teaching students to combine economic and ethical realms in engineering educations.