Innovation September-October 2013

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Old and new kilns side by side. The new kiln requires only half the charcoal of the previous one and has also reduced the firing time by half.

Collaborating Across Continents Engineering, Education, and Social Enterprise

Annette Berndt and Carla Paterson

W hen instructors Annette Berndt and Carla Paterson at the University of British Columbia (UBC) put out a call for support to APEGBC for a course they developed with assistance from Joanne Nakonechny (educational anthropologist), they were happily surprised by the enthusiastic response from APEGBC members, Claudio Arato, P.Eng., FEC, Michael Blackman, P.Eng., FEC, John Holland, P.Eng., FEC, and Vijay Kallur, P.Eng. First offered in 2009, Applied Science 263 (Technology and Development), an elective course for the Bachelor of Applied Science degree, emerged in response to student demand for a course focusing on the international contexts of engineering. APSC 263 offers engineering students a chance to work on real-world problems identified by village artisans in India. The students are connected to the craftspeople by Maiwa Handprints Ltd., a Vancouver-based social enterprise that has long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships with artisans in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and elsewhere. APSC 263 emphasizes the need to consider the social contexts of engineering problems that affect the livelihood of others, and to ensure that solutions are appropriate and sustainable. By providing students with Vancouver-based opportunities for international engagement, the course helps them develop the critical awareness essential to becoming better local engineers. The principal task for APSC 263 students is to propose appropriate socio-technical solutions to the often complex problems identified by Indian artisans. Early on in the course delivery, it became apparent that professional input on students’ proposals was needed. In the fall of 2011, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was established for this purpose. Arato, Blackman, Holland and Kallur were later joined by Don McAdam, P.Eng. and Subhashini Vashisth. Their technical expertise has provided a significant boost to the efforts of Maiwa’s Charllotte Kwon and TimMcLaughlin, along with UBC’s Joanne Nakonechny, Annette Berndt and Carla Paterson to collaborate with the artisans, while also enriching the learning experience for UBC engineering students.

This past academic term was particularly exciting as the efforts of the students, guided by the members of the TAC, coalesced in the form of an improved new design for a bell-making kiln that was implemented in Zura. Zura, a remote Gujarati village known for its production of distinctively toned bells used for animal herding, musical instruments and temples, is a marginalized community where bell-making and attendant trades serve as economic stabilizers. Students worked with APEGBC engineers and the social entrepreneur in communication with the artisans, to create a design that considered the limitations of costs and the availability of local materials. Using documents sent from Vancouver, the artisans, together with a local engineer, technician, welder and mason, prototyped and further “localized” the kiln design. The new kiln requires only half the charcoal of the previous one and has also reduced the firing time by half. This has both an economic and environmental impact, as the bell-makers no longer need to buy as much charcoal (made from trees in a region already affected by desertification). For the first time, the bell-makers have a chimney that vents smoke outside the house, resulting in a cleaner indoor environment and likely better health. The chimney also pre-heats the air entering the kiln, reducing energy consumption by using waste heat. The villagers are pleased with the results, and the women have whitewashed and decorated the kiln, giving it pride of place in the house. The mason is also anticipating an increase in business as neighbouring villagers take an interest in the new kiln design. APSC 263 has proved to be a challenging course for students as they learn how to communicate environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and socially appropriate solutions from a distance. Yet, students have overwhelmingly reported that the opportunities to engage with APEGBC engineers and a social entrepreneur have been invaluable to their learning for the professional workplace. These interactions have helped them understand the power of engineering to provide innovative, sustainable solutions—whether abroad or at home at an early stage of their education, realizing the practical value for engaging in the practice of engineering.

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