#UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain))The access to water and food, health care, sustainable energy, education, efficient communication, etc. is still a major issue for more than half of the world population in the 21st century. The academic education programs in science and technology in our universities prepare the young generation of scientists mainly to outperform in their own discipline for better serving the techno-liberal society in which they live. For a growing number of students, their academic learning lacks meaning. University must be engaged with his community to build up new paradigms. IngénieuxSud is a Service-Learning course where the students from Belgium and Southern countries work together to bring appropriate and sustainable solutions to concrete issues formulated by vulnerable economic and social actors, mainly located in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and East Asia. The intense collaboration between Northern and Southern students forming multidisciplinary and multicultural academic groups is quite unique in a Service-Learning program. The students do not work for but with all the stakeholders, from the design of a solution to its implementation in the field. IngénieuxSud contributes to training Belgian and Southern students to become enlightened professionals aware of current global challenges and to provide solutions that go beyond technical efficiency and economic profitability while serving vulnerable populations. This community engagement course brings improved living conditions to people in need, holistic view and critical mind to scientists, confidence and self-esteem to all the parties, new perspectives for the North-South collaboration in order to tackle global challenges today and tomorrow.
