International Workshop Preparing for Social Responsibility. Delft - October 2010

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1 International Workshop Preparing for Social Responsibility Delft - October 2010 The French «Engineer s s Charter of Ethics» How do students perceive it? What do students think of it? Dr André BERAUD - ECEPIE

2 1-The Charter Two actors: : CNISF and CDEFI CNISF is supposed to represent the 650,000 French engineers Recently created (1992), recognised by the government as representative A conglomerate of associations (around( 200 associations, 160,000 members) Charter of Ethics: : 2001

3 1-The Charter Two actors: : CNISF and CDEFI CDEFI: Conference of Directors of French Engineering Schools, Official Body. Organises inquiries and publishes reports In 2010: about the Charter sent to 171 engineering schools in France Two questions: - Do students in engineering know the Charter? - What do they think of it?

4 1-The Charter Two actors: : CNISF and CDEFI Why a Charter of Ethics? The present situation of engineering and engineers: - Technology = hope and danger - People do not understand it (great hopes and great fears) Consequently, engineers have a triple duty: - Master technology for the good of humanity - Evaluate risks and advantages - Inform everyone of its limits and consequences (positive and negative)

5 1-The Charter Two actors: : CNISF and CDEFI Comments about the Charter - Insistence on social responsibility; the engineer is in between science/ technolgy and humanity; he has to «blow a whistle» when necessary - The engineer disseminates information about ST - Particular attention to health, security, the environment and social partners - Almost no mention of economic constraints, of duties regarding the companies engineers work for; professional ethics comes first

6 2-The 20 questions put on a web site. Dissemination by Engineering Schools and the Bureau National des Elèves ves-ingénieursnieurs (National Board of Engineering Students) Voluntary answer 3589 answers from 106 schools Correct representation of students (age, year of study, fields) ) but: - 29% of women (25.9% in reality) - 6% of foreign students (12%)

7 2-The Do you find the Charter useful? 63%: Yes Easy to understand? Yes: : 85% Easy to apply? Yes: : 54% Motivating? Yes: : 69% Corresponding to the present situation? Yes: : 76%

8 2-The Comments from students: Schools do not disseminate the Charter enough Should be commented on, studied in school, students should be aware of its implications Should be signed by all the engineers Economic constraints do not appear in the text Some companies have «values» which do not respect this Charter What do we do if we have to work for a company which asks us not to respect the Charter? The Charter should propose tools to be used in case of conflict with a company Critical comments: the Charter is unrealistic, it is too general, unnecessary

9 2-The What is the most important item in the Charter? The choice was between: the engineer in society, the engineer and his competences, the engineer and his job, the engineer and his missions. Results (extremely important + important) - The Engineer in Society: 82% - The engineer and his missions: 71,3% - The Engineer and his competences: 69.6% - The Engineer and his job 67% Some comments: «the theme the engineer in society is essential because an engineer is, above all,, a citizen»; «Every item is important but the relationship between the engineer and society is the main factor if one wants to become a humanist»

10 2-The Does your school impart the values of the Charter? Does it do it through: - Its own publicly proclaimed values? - through courses? - by supporting students initiatives? - through the relation with the administration? - through the relation with the top management? Yes 84% Yes 78% Yes 74% Yes 18% Yes 19%

11 2-The For students who have an experience of internship: : do you think companies respect the values of the Charter? Do they do it through: - Their own publicly proclaimed values? - The organisation of students internships? - Respecting students initiatives during internship? Yes 73.4% Yes 68% Yes 68% - The way decisions are made in the company? No 30% - The way the company is organised? No 28.5%

12 2-The Do you believe the word «ingénieur nieur» should be replaced by «ingénieur(e) nieur(e)» in the text of the Charter? - Yes 40.5% of women,, 35% of men - No 30% - 27% of women,, 32% of men Do you believe such an is useful? - Yes 67.1% - 71% of women,, 64.5 of men - No 26.4%

13 3 - Comments 3589 answers from 106 schools, which is important, but only 3.3% of students (107,921 students) The main bias: only voluntary answers 60% of students said they discovered the Charter through the Suspicion regarding companies and the respect of the Charter Schools do not do much to disseminate the Charter: they should do more from students points of view; they do not say how it could/should be done! The same should be organised among engineers

14 3 - Comments How to disseminate the Charter? Insist on the fact it is the duty of Schools: the text is important as a starting point Use the debriefing after an internship experience