Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering (CESER)

The Cultural, Ethical, Social and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering (CESER) program is an outgrowth of one of the four “I’s” identified in US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) President Anderson’s inaugural address: Instill a culture of ethical and environmental responsibility in engineering. CESER builds on the foundation in these areas established by NAE’s Center for Engineering Ethics and Society. The center played an important role in focusing the talents of the nation on addressing the ethical and social dimensions of engineering, and the principles that defined it are being integrated into a new, more expansive view of the role of CESER considerations in engineering education and practice.

CESER is animated by two goals: to seamlessly integrate cultural, ethical, social, and environmental responsibility considerations into the practice of engineering, and to raise awareness of how engineering design and the engineering mindset can responsibly contribute to addressing society’s greatest challenges. It aims to expand the understanding of how cultural, ethical, and social circumstances, and the environment affect and are affected by the practice of engineering and promote consideration of these issues through engagement with engineers, educators, industry leaders, professional societies, governmental entities, and the general public.