John Raine: Why Engineering Cannot be Decolonised

Concordia University is Decolonising

Early 2024, Lawrence Krauss reported [1] that Concordia University in Canada is in the process of decolonising and indigenising its curricula, including Engineering.  He noted that this will put Concordia on the Map, but not in a positive way.  

The new university plan at Concordia is drawing on “principles embodied in the Two Row WampumBelt …. An ethical framework for how colonial-settler governments are to conduct themselves while living in the land of the Rotinonhsión:ni – more commonly known as the Haudenosuanee Six Nations Confederacy.” Concordia is nonetheless part of Quebec province. The intent of the new Concordia curriculum is that it, “… creates a path where everyone is equal and no worldview is superior.”

The article goes on to comment that Concordia is decolonising by moving away from the ideas of the liberal enlightenment, dating from the 17^th century to today. These ideas have underpinned the development modern science and of the modern university, where open inquiry, and exploration and debate of new ideas, is fundamental. Concordia is asking its community to see the enlightenment worldview as unjust and discriminatory. Concordia’s decolonisation/indigenisation plan extends to their School of Engineering also – more on that below.

All of this is, regrettably, another instance of Critical Social Justice ideology in action. The reality is that, as much as it is desirable for all to thrive and prosper, individuals differ in their skills and abilities.   What we must do is maximise the opportunity for all to succeed, but we cannot guarantee the outcome, unless it is through a dumbed down and undemanding curriculum.

Decolonising Science and Engineering in New Zealand Universities

Readers will see the parallel between what is going on at Concordia and moves to decolonise New Zealand universities and others in the Western world.

In New Zealand, decolonisation activist academics such as Hoskins & Jones [2] aim to change completely the cultural character of the university. For example, Hoskins & Jones say,

“Indigenisation refers not to the inclusion of indigenous people, values and knowledge within a largely unchanged or superficially-changed institutional structure, but to the normalisation of indigenous ways of being and knowing.”

…..  and,

“Indigenisation keeps a firm eye on institutional change; the university (or the school) becomes ‘more Māori’. Success on this model is evidence that the university has more (permanent, high status) Māori staff, and students, teaches more Māori knowledge in more Māori ways, is a place where Māori assumptions and priorities are supported and resourced, where people at all levels engage with each other on the basis of friendship and individual care (whanaungatanga and manaakitanga).”

Decolonisation advocates argue for institutional change that will take the university away from being a home of culturally neutral academic discourse. Decolonisation involves the introduction of courses, taught by Māori staff, that are intended to be mandatory, covering the Māori worldview (Te Ao Māori), elements of Māori traditional knowledge (matauranga Māori), tikanga (protocols and processes), kawa (rules), together with particular interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand colonial history.

There is general support for the inclusion of traditional knowledge content in university history, sociology or anthropology courses, but not in the Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) areas. As one colleague at the University of Auckland recently said, “It's quite extraordinary that we are launching a course called "Epistemological justice: indigenising STEM" while at the same time we're being forced to cut science courses.”  

In my own field, Engineering, the progress of this ideology has so far been felt less than in areas such as education, social sciences, and some areas of science such as environmental science. However, there have been strenuous efforts to position traditional knowledge on an equal footing with modern science right across our research and education system.

Engineering programmes are looking to incorporate Māori traditional knowledge, as seen initially in course content around sustainability, for example. Waikato University is introducing matauranga Māori and Kaupapa Māori into software engineering [3], although the article referenced does not make to clear how this will happen. The University of Auckland School of Engineering’s web page [4] on Matauranga Māori makes the following aspirational statement:

“We're committed to the unique Māori way of viewing the world — encompassing traditional knowledge and culture — and actively seek meaningful ways to reflect this in our teaching, research, and ways of doing.”

Why Can’t We Decolonise Engineering?

I support engagement with Māori traditional knowledge and culture. However, advances in engineering science and technology necessarily continually crowd out earlier but valuable course content in a very full four-year curriculum. While Matauranga Māori is described as evolving steadily through time, in taught curricula we cannot afford the luxury of inserting much traditional knowledge, because it cannot contribute technically to advanced modern engineering.

I have noted previously [5] that the technological level of pre-European Māori society was without the wheel, without metal smelting, and without mathematics or written language, placing it approximately at the stage of other developing societies at or pre-3,000 BC.  Naturally, therefore, practical aspects of matauranga Māori that relate to empirical observational knowledge, for example of flora and fauna and water in the natural environment, will be more valuable as a complement to biological and environmental sciences than to most areas of modern Engineering.

Engineers use science, mathematics and creativity to design technological solutions to society’s problems and to advance our built environment, static infrastructure, transport systems, IT, telecommunications, and medical technology, for example.

Engineering research often leads to new scientific discovery.  Engineers are seen as pragmatic problem solvers and are required to be completely in touch with reality, as what they design and produce frequently has implications for individual or community health and safety.

Engineers are normally the ones held responsible when a building or bridge collapses or an aircraft crashes.  The test is to ask yourself if you want to fly in a new jet aircraft where the airframe or jet engine design team members were selected on the basis of having significant traditional knowledge, or on where only those with the most advanced technical education were employed. A similar question can be asked about your next robotic surgical operation. And, as artificial intelligence increasingly finds its way into more automated engineering design processes, what happens if critical social justice ideology somehow incorporates particular cultural or spiritual beliefs in Engineering software decision-making processes?

If we upset the analytical rigour of Engineering design and analysis by infusing traditional knowledge ideas, where myth, legend, spiritual beliefs, and belief in unprovable concepts are involved, we place at risk the integrity of the Engineering process. This may sound harsh, but the scientific and analytical/mathematical part of Engineering must adhere simply to the latest and most reliable science, while welcoming traditional knowledge viewpoints where they can add a useful empirical dimension, or a sociological viewpoint that might affect societal considerations, for example around the design of community buildings and villages.

We have been Warned

The idea that Engineering can be decolonised or indigenised does not stand serious scrutiny.  New Zealand should stand warned by what is happening at Concordia University. Activism to give Māori traditional knowledge equal standing with modern science or Engineering cannot lead to better STEM education. However, we can continue to work to include such knowledge in appropriate courses outside those of, or complementary to, advanced modern science and technology.

Historically, New Zealand Schools of Engineering have stood tall internationally and our graduates have been highly employable overseas. Let us not go down the identity politics pathway that will adversely affect the content and quality of our Engineering programmes, and, inevitably, the international standing of our universities.

John Raine is an Emeritus Professor of Engineering and has formerly held positions as Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at AUT, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Albany and International) at Massey University, and Pro Vice Chancellor (Enterprise and International) at University of Canterbury. He has had a long-term involvement in NZ’s innovation system and chaired the Government’s Powering Innovation Review in 2011.