The Science, Technology and Society (STS) interdisciplinary pathway aims to bridge the divide between humanistic and scientific cultures by promoting a focus on ethical issues, interdisciplinary integration, civic engagement and critical thinking.
The STS interdisciplinary pathway develops thinking about the impacts of science and technology – with a focus on risks, benefits and opportunities – on peace, security, community, democracy, environmental sustainability and human values.
Some of the aims inherent in the STS approach are to explore the relationship between what management engineers do and the constraints, needs and responses of society; to promote the ability to make informed decisions about the responsible use of science and technology; and to delve into the challenges of living and innovating in a world where science and technology are increasingly interconnected, pervasive and powerful.
In summary, the goal of this interdisciplinary pathway is to balance technical and scientific learning with the study of social aspects that interact with technology and scientific application, while also building connections between disciplines that are not normally encountered in the undergraduate engineering management curriculum, such as sociology, law and philosophy. Educationally, the STS approach addresses the limitation of university specialisation, which does not fully prepare for most of the challenges of the contemporary world because these require interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary skills not promoted by conventional academic pathways.
