SCHEJBAL, Ctirad
VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Abstract: The education of mining and geological engineers is changing dramatically due to some common factor as rapid development of natural and technical sciences, increasing globalization of all human activities, namely industrial and commercial, explosion of information technologies and very strong stress on environmental and social questions. An important factor affecting in the case of Czech transitive economy is very turbulent and confused surroundings influenced both measure and way of using of domestic mineral resources. All mentioned factors are changing considerable the approach to the orientation of engineering education in the of mining and practical geology.
Traditional engineering curricula with strong technical bias and considerable specialization must change to new curricula with multidisciplinary approach to problem solving, oriented on training of technically competent, socially and environmentally sensitive engineers with holistic understanding of problems. Thus, our pedagogical effort must be oriented on education to system thinking, education to the natural resources preservation and their more qualified utilization, education of analytical and critical engineering thinking and education of correct economic-legal problem solving under communication with partners in industry, state and local authorities and public.
Keywords: universality, holism, ethics, aims, curricula
During the last decades questions of coexistence of human society with natural systems of biotic and abiotic types have been discussed ever more intensely. Especially exploitation of natural raw material resources is widely analyzed in view of the embarked trend of industrial development of human society. The resources of raw materials came to the center of public interest already in seventies in connection with oil crisis, when finality of raw material resources was considered as the most important limit of further development [MEADOWS et al. 1972]. According to Drew [DREW 1996] a new form of cold war emerged at end of seventies - war of resources. The opinions expecting a soon exhaustion of raw material resources have not been confirmed for many reasons. At present another problem is being discussed namely more qualified exploitation of raw material resources as well as consequences connected with their exploitation. Hence principally a re-engineering of material and energy flows is concerned which is provoked by technology progress and directed by social and environmental limitations.
The above-mentioned development has been and is reflected by mining and practical geology spheres. A particularly heavy impact can be observed in highly developed countries with long-term history of exploitation of mineral raw material resources, especially in Western and Central Europe. It is naturally reflected equally by mining engineering education. Education of mining and geological engineers changes distinctly due to general factors as well as special ones. Among general factors increasing globalization of all human activities (especially of industrial and commercial ones), explosion of production and information technologies and general pressure on environmental and social issues could be classified. In case of Czech Republic as principal special factors needs for reconstruction of normal economic and sociopolitical background can be designated. Current transition economy with its turbulent and uncertain background affects significantly extent and methods of exploitation of home raw material resources and thus scope and orientation of geological and mining activities. I consider a reconstruction process in full functioning market economy as feasible within relatively short time period. Far more complicated and longer lasting problem are stabilization of sociopolitical background and mainly transformation of human thinking and behavior. The after effects of fifty-year influence of totalitarian regimes are extensive and deep and they are manifested primarily in suppression of standard moral principles and professional ethics.
By all above-mentioned factors the approach to orientation of engineering training in mining and practical geology sphere which is one of part of pedagogical activities of Faculty of mining and geology of VSB-Technical University of Ostrava is varied substantially.
When evaluating development of mining education during second half of this century then it can be stated that between fifties and eighties the tendency to train relatively high specialized professionals prevailed. Such orientation was especially marked in central planning economies of countries of former Soviet block which operated at conditions of relatively closed-up system. It was manifested in the sphere of mineral raw material complex by preferred and excessively dimensioned exploitation of home raw material basis. During this period for instance former Czechoslovakia at per capita calculation and in relation to extent of its territory could be classified among leading world producers of a number of mineral raw materials such as magnesite, kaolin, hard coal, brown coal etc. Equally the sphere of exploration geology passed through similar extensive development. Such orientation required a great number of specialized professionals and it was reflected by scope and contents of mining university education.
The above tendency is documented by development of study subjects of Faculty of mining and geology of VSB - Technical University of Ostrava. Until 1950 there was within frame of unified university only a single study subject of mining engineering within which specialization in deposit mining or in deposit prospecting, in mineral preparation or in mine surveying could be studied. Since 1951 when VSB mining university was divided into Faculties of mining, metallurgy and machinery the number of independent study subjects increased until first half of sixties. The attempted reform of economy during second half of sixties - when exploitation of some unprofitable deposits (especially Fe- and Au-deposits) was terminated - was reflected by concentration of mining and geological study subjects as well as by establishing study subjects specialized in mining economics and mining management as well as in mine fire control and mine industry safety. During subsequent development further splitting of study subjects occurred, mainly in mining sphere. Such development continued equally during nineties and also in other study subjects. Necessary reorientation of Faculty provoked by decrease of volume of extraction of mineral raw materials, by changes of economic sphere and by general development trends lead to establishing new study subjects based on actually existing scientific-pedagogical expertise of Faculty. We consider this development phase as necessary and very logic. Currently again a concentration is occurring just in connection with the theme discussed directed at unification into wider universal conceived study programs providing within frame of credit system new broad possibilities of choice of specialization. An analogous development passed on majority of mining oriented Faculties of world.
A problem is concerned which has been discussed by pedagogical and professional public for many ears. Advocates of specialization argue the enormous increase of results in scientific or technical disciplines as well as of expertise necessary for their applications and argue the necessity of practical preparedness of graduates for performance of engineering functions immediately after taking up of job. However, development in raw material industry sphere or in practical prospecting geology indicates an opposite opinion. Variability of external background in which both private business entities and bodies of self-government, of state administration and supervision operate leads to requirement of training of professionals with wide engineering knowledge, not only of own specialization but also of related specialization kinds, supplemented by necessary knowledge of legal, social and environmental issues. Necessity of universality of training is emphasized by liberalization of Czech economy manifested by occurrence of numerous relatively small firms the existence and well running of which require that chief technical managers are prepared universally for solving a number of problems of different orientation. A similar situation is in professionally oriented self-government bodies and bodies of state administration and supervision the proper functioning of which demands equally a broad knowledge scope.
An integral part of university training preparation should be also training in general issues of human behavior within society and within natural systems. At present a number of scientists think over principles affecting such behavior [SCHEJBAL 1999]. They seek answer to question which way of human life is correct and proper and which is the correct way of human development. Essentially, solving moral issues is concerned which depend on principles of human society arrangement, on traditions and on public opinion. They have nature of a certain convention represented in various ways. When formulating future way of human society we have to base on investigating big natural systems, beginning with cosmic space and ending with geosphere components, because knowledge of general laws is necessary prerequisite for practical realization of idea of tenable life. The principles of system character and historicity lead to an integral view of Earth as planet, to theory of noosphere - sphere of reason - as a higher development stage of biosphere. With such holistic concept the new categorical imperative proposed by Laura Westra [WESTRA 1994] corresponds: "Act so that your action will fit within universal natural laws ... Act so that you manifest respect and understanding acceptance of all natural processes and laws." Substantially, the overcoming of human egoism is concerned which is manifested by improper understanding of our role in natural systems. For these reasons universality of training of engineers is more justified.
Among causes of many misunderstandings in society is lack of ethics, or more accurately of professional ethics. Its typical manifestations are underestimating or overestimating opinions of professionals, disrespecting of work of other people, ignoring of professional literature, misuse of thoughts of other or equally ignoring or infringing laws, lack of creativity and lack of communication capability etc. Correctness in private or professional life and incessant effort in improving of own knowledge are indispensable, but unfortunately often neglected prerequisites for quiet and successful development not only of our but of all human society. Therefore a properly conceived education of engineers has to cover equally such problems.
From the analysis above it results that our pedagogical activity when training mining and geological engineers has to pursue the following basic objectives [SCHEJBAL 1998]:
training for system understanding of global geosystems, especially knowledge of coexistence of extremely complicated processes proceeding in anthroposphere;
training for care of natural resources conservation, for their qualified exploitation and minimization of negative impacts connected with it;
training for creative, analytical and critical thinking, because prospecting, extracting and utilization of mineral raw materials demand as a rule non-standard and often entirely new solutions;
training for qualified engineering computer aided solving of problems which has to respect in full extent legal, economical and ecological aspects;
training for capability of communication with partners which is gaining increasing importance in view of generally applied mechanisms of negotiation with bodies of state administration, self-government, representatives of various interest corporations as well as citizens.
To fulfill all the issues discussed above a structure of study programs in summary should contain the following five basic branches:
general natural science and engineering basis,
subjects of studied specialization and up to a necessary extent of related fields of study,
necessary economical, legal and social-philosophy subjects,
environmental disciplines,
system and computer sciences.
Moreover, economical, legal and environmental viewpoints must make an integral or more strictly speaking intrinsic parts of all mining and geological practically oriented courses
The mentioned branches are applied at present in teaching program of Faculty of mining and geology, predominantly as obligatory and partly as optional courses. I should like to stress, that an holistic approach on Earth system as mentioned formerly is realised in the course named Earth science, which was started immediately on the beginning or running decade.
I am convinced that the aim of universities is to educate a comprehensively developed human being who is not only filled up with most recent information of its own specialization, but who based on technical, economical and humanity disciplines understands surrounding world and is capable to realize practically its ideas. It is necessary, therefore, that traditional engineering curricula with preferred technical orientation shall be transformed into a new conceived curricula with multidisciplinary approach to solving technical problems which is oriented at education of technically competent engineers with social and environmental sensibility and holistic understanding of problems.
DREW, L.J. Lands ethics. In Nonrenewable resources. Vol.5, No. 4, 1996, pp. 193-194.
MEADOWS, D.H. et al. The limits to growth. London: Universe Books, 1972.
SCHEJBAL, C. A situation and orientation of mining-geological education in the transitive economy of the Czech republic. In International conference on engineering education ICEE’98, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1998.
SCHEJBAL, C. Ethics in engineering education in the field of geoscience and mining. In Networking in engineering education, 2nd UICEE annual conference on engineering education, Proc., Auckland, New Zealand, 1999, pp. 424-326.
WESTRA, L. An environmental proposal for ethics: the principle of integrity. Maryland, USA: Rowman and Littlefield , Lanham, 1994.