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The Role Of An Engineer Essay

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When talking about engineering, people would probably have pictures in their mind of engineers using machines producing parts, drawing and sketching designs, or even doing some mathematical calculations. A more general answer to what engineers actually do would be that they solve social problems through the use of machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. They are all absolutely correct. But in reality, both the job and the role of an engineer are more complicated. They do not only have to work with machines and designs. Engineers are often involved in communications and negotiations. They have to work with different people and the responsibility that they have is massive. Important decisions are made by them and they have to use their own judgement. And very often, ethical considerations are already built into the decisions they make. In order to make the best decisions, they have to be understood in the context of their role in society and, moreover, they need to develop good ethical awareness and be able to deal with the dilemmas that they have to face every day. As mentioned above, it is very important for engineers to understand their own responsibilities. In 1960, the Conference of Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States of America defined "professional engineer" as follows:1 “A professional engineer is competent by virtue of his/her fundamental education and training to apply the scientific method and outlook to the analysis

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