Futures studies: Pursuing possible, preferable, probable and plausible sustainable futures

ABSTRACT: To develop engineers "of' the future as opposed to engineers "for" the future a Futures Studies perspective needs to be adopted as a strategy for students and practitioners alike to generate realistic images and ideas about the future. As a consequence a futures discourse arising from their own engineering practices, those of past engineers and those of future engineers can be conducted in order to examine and assess the impact of such practices. It is through the examination of the way in which possible, preferable, probable and plausible future scenarios can be constructed and implemented that enables a better understanding of the impact engineering decisions will have on the realised future and whether it will be a sustainable one. As educators we must encourage and inspire students to gain a deeper perspective of their place in shaping the future and guide them in meeting their responsibilities towards developing sustainable futures.