{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:47:56Z","timestamp":1760143676898,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,22]],"date-time":"2024-02-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1708560000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT","award":["EXPL\/CED-EDG\/1009\/2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EXPL\/CED-EDG\/1009\/2021"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Trends in Higher Education"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to raise important issues in engineering education in the face of contemporary challenges and demands through the voices of different stakeholders in engineering curricula and in the practice of professional engineering. Several challenges and future perspectives are based on important skills, like soft skills, which are required by employers and include communication, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership and emotional intelligence, as well as the ability to work with people of different backgrounds and apply technical knowledge. A qualitative data analysis of interviews with students, alumni, teachers and employers revealed the demand for more balanced qualified curricula for higher education institutions in the field of engineering. This includes the promotion of collaborative learning spaces, authentic learning experiences based on engaging students in real situations, project-based learning, industrial visits, guest lectures and problem-solving methodologies that are perceived by these stakeholders as essential in the construction of a curriculum, in line with the specific technical competences of each area.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/higheredu3010008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]],"date-time":"2024-02-23T07:33:56Z","timestamp":1708673636000},"page":"142-154","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["In Search of a More Balanced Engineering Curriculum: The Perspective of Students, Teachers, Alumni and Employers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3034-9732","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1519-7008","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00e1rbara","family":"Gabriel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7226-9047","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robertt","family":"Valente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3988-5606","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Andrade-Campos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4009-8685","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Dias-de-Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1198-4220","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victor","family":"Neto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"Soares","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, 3810-198 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"William James Center for Research, University of Aveiro, 3810-198 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3368-3990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teresa","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences of University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES), 4450-227 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6407-7259","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cl\u00e1udia","family":"Figueiredo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences of University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES), 4450-227 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.37870\/joqie.v7i9.5","article-title":"Skills for employability: Identification of the Soft Skills required in engineering education","volume":"7","author":"Chaibate","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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