Challenges of Integrating Sustainability into Software Engineering Education: Experiences in Building European Software Engineers for the Green Deal Programme

Abstract

The consequences of human-driven climate change present an urgent global concern that affects every facet of human existence. Fostering sustainable practices in all domains of human activity is essential. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and software have become central to human lives, from personal to professional. Despite the considerable impact of these technologies on sustainability, via both their footprints and handprints, sustainability has been largely neglected in engineering curricula, in this case, specifically in Software Engineering (SE) curricula. The existing curricula guidelines barely acknowledge sustainability as a competency or a learning outcome. And still, sustainability competency is absolutely imperative for a future-ready workforce. In this paper, the Erasmus Mundus SE4GD (Software Engineers for Green Deal) master’s program is outlined, which has planned and integrated sustainability into SE education while trying to comply with general curriculum guidelines. The implementation of this Master’s programme is presented as a case study in defining the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies that engineering students should have on sustainability and give examples of how these competencies have been integrated into this existing programme. The framework and operational methods of the SE4GD program are described, along with how it cultivates a sustainability mindset in software engineers. Finally, the competencies that future software engineers need to build a more sustainable world are presented.