Cultivating Student Resilience: Individual Capacity and Institutional Responsibility:

Authors

Natalie Wint
Department of Science, Technology, Engineering & Public Policy, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9229-5728
Stephanie J. Lunn
Multidisciplinary Engineering and Computing Education, Systems and Management Department, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, United States of America
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3840-1822
Inês Direito
Laboratory of Distance Education and eLearning, Centre for Engineering Education, Universidade Aberta, Portugal | Department of Education and Distance Learning, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8471-9105
Curwyn Mapaling
Optentia Research Unit, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2731-9081
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59490/mt.266.71

Synopsis

Future engineers face growing complexity and uncertainty when addressing global crises and societal challenges, including climate and technological change. This necessitates equipping engineering students with the ability to navigate complexity and adapt to career transitions, leading to an increased emphasis on resilience within degree programmes. Resilience, broadly defined as the ability to adapt to, and learn from, adverse situations, has become a focal point in policies and a desirable attribute for graduates. In this chapter, we define resilience and discuss reasons why its significance is growing within engineering education. Following this, we present ways resilience can be included within engineering education, notably through the use of problem and challenge-based approaches, design thinking, and teamwork. We conclude by cautioning against uncritically embedding ‘resilience’ into engineering courses. Instead, we emphasise the need for contextual and intersectional approaches that account for the systemic factors and structural barriers that differentially impact student experiences and mental health.

Author Biographies

Natalie Wint, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering & Public Policy, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom

Wint, Natalie (0000-0002-9229-5728) is an Associate Professor in Engineering for Social Change with the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) at University College London, UK. Her research covers a variety of topics including student resilience, professional skills, the philosophy of education, engineering ethics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Stephanie J. Lunn, Multidisciplinary Engineering and Computing Education, Systems and Management Department, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, United States of America

Lunn, Stephanie J. (0000-0003-3840-1822) is an Assistant Professor in Computing and Engineering Education in the Multidisciplinary Engineering and Computing Education, Systems and Management Department and the STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University, USA. Her research is focused on students’ professional and technical development. 

Inês Direito, Laboratory of Distance Education and eLearning, Centre for Engineering Education, Universidade Aberta, Portugal | Department of Education and Distance Learning, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom

Direito, Inês (0000-0002-8471-9105) is an Assistant Professor (Research) in Engineering Education at the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), University of Aveiro, Portugal, and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Engineering Education, University College London, UK. Her current research is focused on empathy in engineering education.   

Curwyn Mapaling, Optentia Research Unit, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, South Africa

Mapaling, Curwyn (0000-0003-2731-9081) is an Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the Subject Group Psychology, and a member of the Optentia Research Unit at North-West University, South Africa. His research focuses on resilience, well-being, and strengths-based interventions in educational settings.

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Volume

SEFI Handbook on Teaching Transferable Competencies and Skills in Engineering

Pages

359-379

Published

August 26, 2026

Series

Education series

Categories

Copyright (c) 2026 Gillian Saunders-Smits, Lynn Van den Broeck, Thies Johannsen

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Wint, N., Lunn, S. J., Direito, I., & Mapaling, C. (2026). Cultivating Student Resilience: Individual Capacity and Institutional Responsibility: . In SEFI Handbook on Teaching Transferable Competencies and Skills in Engineering (pp. 359-379). TU Delft OPEN Books. https://doi.org/10.59490/mt.266.71