Community-oriented engineering co-design: case studies from the Peruvian Highlands

The goal of an engineer’s career is solving real problems for social and ecological betterment. At the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima, Peru, this vision is promoted from the earliest stages of a student’s engineering career to enable them to embrace their creativity while developing meaningful solutions for ecosystems in need. In this article, an educational methodology is presented that uses a project-based collaborative learning approach with the aim of evaluating, selecting and developing community-oriented engineering solutions in the Base of the Pyramid (BoP). Communication strategies and evaluation of projects based on co-design methods implemented among engineering students and isolated rural communities in the highlands of Peru are discussed. In conclusion, the process to select a community is analyzed and the most important criteria are determined. In addition, we highlight the importance of defining elements to understand the context (community and place) and to establish future objectives (group and projects) during the exploration period that will help facilitate the decision to select a community.