Blended Intensive Program(BIP):

Engineering Ethics, 3 ECTS

BIP: Engineering Ethics

Faculty of Technology and Seafaring

Degree Program in Industrial Management and Engineering

Credits: 3 ECTS

Teacher: Senior Lecturer Roger Nylund

Virtual component

Time: Monday 29.9.2025, 12-13.30 o'clock, Finnish time (a Teams-link will be sent to the participants before the meeting).
Virtual Component Description: Short presentation of the course and the participants. A pre-task will also be presented.

Physical component

Monday 6.10.2025 – Friday 10.10.2025

Venue: Novia UAS Vaasa Campus, Wolffintie 33 & Wolffintie 31, 65200 Vaasa, Finland.

Active participation is expected from all students throughout the entire week.

Please plan to arrive no later than Sunday, 5 October, and depart no earlier than Saturday, 11 October.

Course content

As new technologies continue to evolve rapidly, the significance of engineering ethics is greater than ever. Engineers must recognize that their work carries inherent ethical implications. It’s essential for them to have practical tools that empower moral autonomy, enabling them to navigate thoughtful considerations and make ethical decisions effectively.

This Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) offers first and second-cycle students from all engineering disciplines a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of ethical frameworks and their application in professional practice.

Extracurricular activities included guided campus tour, welcome dinner and bastu night, a visit to the Replot Bridge and Björkö Archipelago and many more! Detailed schedule will follow closer to the event.

Detailed information

Please click (+) to expand the text.

Preliminary Content (subject to updates during the course):

1. The Concept of Morality and Professional Responsibility
2. The Concept of Values, and values in Conflict. Exploring corporate values through case studies
3. Crash Course in Ethical Theories: Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue Ethics, Rights-Based Approaches, Post-Modern Ethics
4. Responsibility Issues:
   - The role of corporations in society
   - Stakeholders and Corporate Responsibility (CR) in value chains
   - Anti-corruption measures
   - Individual vs. Corporate Social Responsibility
   - Whistleblowing and Codes of Conduct
   - Case Studies and Discussions

Recommended Literature

Provided Articles: Distributed by the lecturer.

Optional Readings:
- Whitbeck, C. (2011): Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press
- Fleddermann, C. B. (2014): Engineering Ethics (4th ed.), Pearson
- Van de Poel, I., Royakkers, R. (2011): Ethics, Technology and Engineering, Wiley
- Ladkin, D. (2013): Mastering the Ethical Dimension of Organizations, Elgar
- Crane, A., Matten, D. (2016): Business Ethics, Oxford University Press
- Kahneman, D. (2016): Thinking Fast and Slow
- Iyengar, S. (2011): The Art of Choosing

Travelling to Vaasa

Train: Direct and connecting trains from Helsinki (see VR timetables)
Plane: Regular flights from Helsinki and Stockholm to Vaasa Airport (9 km from city center)
Ferry: Daily connection between Vaasa and Umeå, Sweden (see Wasaline for details)

Costs and Scholarship

Course Fee: Free of charge
Eligibility: Open exclusively to students from partner universities
Scholarship: Students are expected to receive a Erasmus+ scholarships for short-term mobility from their home universities

Accommodation

Accommodation has been reserved for course participants via AinaBnB. The total cost for the accommodation is 227.10 €, covering the stay from check-in on 5 October to check-out on 11 October 2025.

Students are responsible for covering the accommodation cost. Breakfast will be paid for by Novia throughout the stay.

Admitted students will receive more details and payment instructions later.

Nomination and Application

Our partner universities are requested to send the nomination by email to our international coordinator.

The nomination should include the name of the student, date of birth, and email address.

After the student has been nominated we will register the person in the online mobility programme SoleMove and s/he will get an email with a link to the programme and a user name and password.

Deadline for nomination and application is 5 September 2025.

Participation is limited to 10-25 students, and about 3 students/university to ensure an interactive experience.

Please note that we only accept students nominated by our partners. Nominations from the students themselves are not accepted.