Engineering Education for a Sustainable Future in Emerging Economies

Emerging economies face an urgent and complex challenge: preparing engineers who can drive sustainable development in contexts marked by rapid urbanisation, resource constraints, demographic growth, and accelerating technological disruption. Engineering education in these settings must evolve beyond traditional models to become more inclusive, context-aware, innovation-driven, and closely connected to societal and economic needs. This Special Issue proposes a platform that brings together interdisciplinary scholarship and practice-oriented insights on how engineering education can be reimagined to support a sustainable future in emerging economies, with a particular focus on Africa.

The proposed Research Topic builds on the momentum of the “Engineering Education for a Sustainable Future in Emerging Economies” Conference hosted by Academic City University (Accra, Ghana). The collection aims to bridge theory, policy, and practice by showcasing locally grounded yet globally relevant approaches to engineering education reform. By centring African and Global South perspectives while engaging international scholarship, the issue seeks to enrich global discourse on engineering education transformation.

Contributions will explore innovative pedagogical models, institutional frameworks, and partnership strategies that respond to the realities of emerging economies. Topics may address curriculum innovation, experiential and work-integrated learning, faculty development, digital transformation, and community-embedded engineering practice. The Research Topic also emphasises the importance of strengthening the STEM pipeline, from K-12 and TVET education through university and industry alignment, to ensure continuity, relevance, and access across educational pathways.

We invite contributions aligned with the following seven thematic strands of engineering education:

• Innovative Entrepreneurship & Mindset: How can engineering education empower learners to become creators, innovators, and job-makers who drive economic and social development?

• Indigenisation of Engineering Education: Advancing engineering education designed for Africa—grounded in local challenges, cultures, knowledge systems, and resources.

• AI and Emerging Technologies: Integrating artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR), automation, and digital tools to transform teaching, laboratories, and workforce readiness.

• STEM Pipeline: K–12 & TVET Education: Strengthening pathways from early STEM exposure through TVET, higher education, and industry alignment.

• Inclusion & Access: Ensuring engineering education is equitable and accessible for women, learners with disabilities, and underserved communities.

• Industry–Academia–Government Partnerships: Building effective collaborations that align engineering education with industry needs and national development priorities.

• Policy & Regulation Reform: Advancing policy and regulatory frameworks that ensure quality, innovation, and long-term impact across the engineering education ecosystem.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Sustainable engineering education, Emerging economies (Africa/Global South), Innovative entrepreneurship mindset, Indigenisation of engineering education, AI and emerging technologies (XR/automation), STEM pipeline

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.