Identifying Barriers and Opportunities: A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a More Inclusive Sustainable Manufacturing Curriculum
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
Summer 6-2026
Abstract
This paper illustrates the Sustainable Partnerships Advancing Research and Knowledge (SPARK) initiative, which is a British Council, funded Transnational Education (TNE) program. The initiative aims to collaborate on the design of a professional master's degree in engineering in Additive Manufacturing (AM) between the UK and Egypt institutions of higher education. The more the industry adopts additive manufacturing, the more it will need graduates who are ready for the industry and can make significant impacts rapidly. Therefore, the program of study was developed to meet the needs of today's manufacturing sector. To develop the curriculum, the project held structured stakeholder workshops, expert seminars, and conducted an industry, wide survey. AM applications, essential technical and software skills, top training needs, and joint delivery partnership models were some of the facets extensively discussed. Besides that, there was the development of an online collaboration platform so that partners could continuously communicate and share resources. The analysis of the data showed that there was a huge requirement for practical, hands, on AM education that is centered on Design for AM, process simulation, getting operational experience with AM equipment, and collaborative practice. The results were great guidance for developing a professional master's program that puts a premium on applied skills, is sustainable in the long run, and is in line with the current industry practices. The project develops a transferable model for global curriculum development that other initiatives could adopt. The research results have important implications for the engineering education of countries with expanding manufacturing sectors. Moreover, SPARK contributes to closing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education gaps by providing skill, based, accessible learning pathways which go beyond regional and socioeconomic barriers. By focusing on inclusion, the program aims at creating a diversified, future, ready workforce that has the skills, the means, and the chances to encourage sustainable engineering innovation worldwide.
Recommended Citation
I. Abdelgaliel, K. Essa and A. Elkaseer, "Identifying Barriers and Opportunities: A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a More Inclusive Sustainable Manufacturing Curriculum," 2026 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Cairo, Egypt, 2026, pp. 1-9, doi: 10.1109/EDUCON67543.2026.11574207.