APSC 367 – Humanitarian Engineering: Politics & Practice

This is an interdisciplinary course, offered for the 3rd time in September 2025, that will have students from Engineering (any discipline), Political Science, and International Relations work together in teams to tackle real-world humanitarian challenges in collaboration with partnering NGOs. This presents a unique opportunity for cross-disciplinary collaboration and to explore your work and your field in a broader context while having a real impact. It will be co-taught by faculty members from Arts and from Applied Science.

You can find additional information and testimonials about the course here:

Given the unique nature of the course, that much of the value of the course will come from active participation and collaboration in interdisciplinary teams, and the responsibility that comes with working with NGOs on real projects, registration requires you to submit a (short) personal statement to outline your interest in the course. This is simply to assess your interest and fit for the course and select those candidates that will get the most out of it, so that we can hit the ground running in September. Applications will be accepted until July 15th, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the results of their application, and officially registered in the course if successful, shortly thereafter.

Please note that APSC 367 satisfies the “Impact of Engineering on Society, Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship” requirement for graduation in engineering for all programs except CIVL (unless special permission is granted from the program), and ENVL and ENVE, for which this counts as a technical elective. For CHBE students, this course counts towards the Impact of Engineering on Society requirement (which is normally satisfied with APSC 262).

You can apply to join APSC 367 here.

For questions, please contact Dr. Tamara Etmannski (tamara.etmannski@ubc.ca).