Recovering sustainability in the Brazilian Amazon: an analysis of engineering courses from the perspective of innovation and sustainability

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims, from the perspective of the recovery of sustainability, to develop a framework on sustainability and innovation in the formation of engineers in the courses of Engineering in the Brazilian Amazon.

Design/methodology/approach

For this work, a quantitative approach was adopted in the research process. A survey instrument was developed from the main evidence in the literature, the electronic instrument in Google Forms, was sent in the period from November 2022 to February 2023 to engineering students from public institutions in the Brazilian eastern Amazon, who had 80% of the course completed and graduates.

Findings

Of the students and graduates who responded to the survey, 58% are male and 42% female, with an average age of 24 years, 72% who have the 8th semester, 28% graduates. As for the practices, they stand out with the highest average degree of agreement in the innovation aspect formation of partnerships and fostering creativity and innovation; in the sustainability aspect the study of sustainability helps to understand the environmental, social and economic challenges and importance of training for sustainability and innovation; in the sustainable recovery aspect, the interaction between university and local community and new research can contribute to the recovery of sustainability and in the SDGs 6 and 8.

Originality/value

This paper presents the perceptions of engineering students and graduates from the Brazilian Amazon, which is considered one of the most strategic regions for the country and internationally in terms of environmental challenges. The main evidence shows that there is a need to adapt academic curricula, seeking to focus on projects that promote participation and the creation of trends aimed at social problems and the current demands of the society in which they are inserted.

Citation

Cavalcante, D.M., Veiga Ávila, L., Anholon, R., Júnior, Á.L.N. and Martins, V.W.B. (2024), "Recovering sustainability in the Brazilian Amazon: an analysis of engineering courses from the perspective of innovation and sustainability", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2023-0436