APSC 367, Humanitarian Engineering: Politics and Practice, recently hosted their first ever showcase of student projects at Orchard Commons.
The interdisciplinary course, jointly created and taught by the departments of international relations and political science and the Faculty of Applied Science, explores the intersections between technical engineering design, sustainability and humanitarianism.
This term, nine groups set out to tackle a variety of issues surrounding sanitation and energy around the world. Each student group collaborated with local organizations to address their chosen issue and to provide practical and community-oriented solutions.
“The idea is that with holistic thinking you’ll be able to address problems early on and design … not just [technically], but for the community you’re trying to serve,” said Andrew Sheroubi, a UBC graduate in chemical and biological engineering and consultant for the course.
The idea for a humanitarian engineering course was initially proposed by Sheroubi as student-directed seminar. Sheroubi and Dr. Gabriel Potvin, associate professor of teaching in the department of chemical and biological engineering, completed a successful run of APSC 498, the precursor for APSC 367 in 2017/18.
Seeing the success, both were interested in pursuing the option of creating a permanent version of the course. Potvin then contacted Dr. Jenny Peterson, associate professor of teaching in the department of Political Science, about the course and they began designing the syllabus and pushing for approval from the Faculties of Arts and Applied Science.
The course was approved in 2019 and has been co-taught by Potvin and Peterson.
“The world is facing some pretty daunting challenges, but solving these challenges requires people from multiple disciplines. It’s not something that engineers can solve on their own,” said Potvin. “This is an opportunity for engineers and political science and international relations students to work together, and not only develop skills and understanding about what the other people do, but really gain an appreciation for the other disciplines and what they bring to the table to solve these problems.”
Stephanie Wilkinson, a fourth-year integrated engineering student, and Cynara Onyemordi, a fifth-year political science student, collaborated to propose a water filtration system for an Indigenous reserve located in Lytton, BC.
Due to the IR14’s small population, they don't “qualify” for centralized drinking water and have faced water shortages due to the contamination of nearby freshwater sources. Partnering with RES'EAU, Wilkinson, Onyemordi and their group designed a “three stage treatment system” for the reserve. The three steps consisted of: a cartridge filter, a granular activated carbon filter and UV lights.
“Before this ever gets proposed to [the community] we’re hoping to go over what their issues with their water systems are, so what we propose actually meets their needs and works for them, [and] we’re not just imposing a plan for them,” said Wilkinson.
Both students had applied for APSC 367 to learn more about humanitarian engineering and gain experience in a multidisciplinary setting. Wilkinson had previously taken a class with Potvin and “fell in love with humanitarian engineering,” while Onyemordi was interested in escaping an “echo chamber."
Nikolai Sundstrom, a third-year international relations student, and his group are working with EcoSwell, an NGO dedicated to conservation efforts in Peru, to improve water accessibility to residents in Lobitos and the Piedritas, Peru, where residents are only able to access water for three hours per day.
To address this issue, Sundstrom and his group decided to propose a “supplementary water system” in the form of a “groundwater well” under quebradas — a “natural rain water reservoir.” This water is then transported through a pipe to each town, treated with “reverse osmosis and chlorine” before distribution to the community.
Sundstrom said he applied to APSC 367 to work with people in different specializations and explore “completely different perspectives, not only on engineering issues that I don’t know about, but also on issues in international relations and political science.”
For Peterson, the course offered students a unique lens to explore issues around the world.
“I think it’s actually a very exciting space … And, it’s challenging, but it’s exciting to work through those challenges together, when the aim is to do something better, when the aim is to build something better,” said Peterson. “I think that’s what's exciting about the course, is overcoming challenges, not just for the sake of overcoming challenges, but to try and do good in the world.”
Peterson said she hopes to see the course become “a regular offering and not a one off."