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Engineering Ethics Education in China: Development, Promoters, and Challenges for the Future

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Building Inclusive Ethical Cultures in STEM

Part of the book series: The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology ((ELTE,volume 42))

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Abstract

Engineering ethics education has recently been essential in China’s engineering education. This chapter describes the development, promotors, and challenges of engineering ethics education in China. First comes an overview of the development of engineering ethics education in China. The brief history of such topics within engineering ethics education is described. The second part of the chapter concentrates on the promoters of engineering ethics education in China. It closes with the challenges for the future. Some suggestions for such topics for research in engineering ethics education are given.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Belt and Road Initiative is officially known as the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” which were first implemented by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Inspired by the ancient Silk Road, the initiative aims to establish a new cooperation platform to actively develop economic networks with countries along the Belt and Road and jointly build a community with a future shared by mankind. The information is available (in Chinese) at https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/info/iList.jsp?tm_id=540 (accessed 29 Nov 2022).

  2. 2.

    This direct quotation is originally in Chinese. The author of the chapter translated it into English.

  3. 3.

    This multinational agreement set the progression toward the mutual recognition of engineering accreditation in motion. Initiated in the UK by the Engineering Council, the Washington Accord, signed in 1989, is an international agreement among bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programs. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies. It recommends that graduates of programs accredited by any of the signatory bodies be recognized by the other bodies as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering (Washington Accord (accreditation.org)).

  4. 4.

    This direct quotation is originally in Chinese. The author of the chapter translated it into English.

  5. 5.

    This direct quotation is originally in Chinese. The author of the chapter translated it into English.

  6. 6.

    At 20:30:05 on July 23, 2011, in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, a multiple-unit train crash occurred between the D301 train from Beijing South Railway Station to Fuzhou Station and the D3115 train from Hangzhou Station to Fuzhou South Railway Station resulting in 40 deaths, 172 injuries, 32 h and 35 min of suspension, and a direct economic loss of 193,716,500 yuan. After investigation, it was determined that the traffic accident was caused by severe design defects of the train control center equipment, lax use inspection, and ineffective emergency response after equipment failure caused by lightning stroke (Li Zhengfeng et al. 2019, p. 36).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China

    Lina Wei

  2. Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China

    Jian Yuan

Authors
  1. Lina Wei
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  2. Jian Yuan
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Elisabeth Hildt

  2. Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Kelly Laas

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, AET, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Eric M. Brey

  4. Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, USA

    Christine Z. Miller

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Wei, L., Yuan, J. (2024). Engineering Ethics Education in China: Development, Promoters, and Challenges for the Future. In: Hildt, E., Laas, K., Brey, E.M., Miller, C.Z. (eds) Building Inclusive Ethical Cultures in STEM. The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51560-6_9

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