Bioengineering students are protesting against their outdated training which they claim is not aligned with current climate issues. According to agronomy student Molly, some students are experiencing an existential crisis wondering how they will utilize the tools they have been given. In a conference-debate at ULB, a hundred bioengineering students questioned their training and expressed concern over the lack of mention of agroecology in some universities. They allege that some courses are too pro-GMO and that there is a significant lack of field and social sciences. Some students have opted to change paths as a result of this discrepancy.
A wind of slingshot blows on the benches of the university. “GMOs at all costs”, “big delay”, “exceeded prices”: bioengineering students are rebelling, denouncing training that is completely out of step with current climate issues.
“Several students are truly in an existential crisis” says Molly, an agronomy student at the Free University of Brussels. “A lot of people think, ‘what am I going to do tomorrow with the tools I’ve been given?'”
“There are still biotechnology courses where one wonders what message the teachers want to convey”
At the ULB, a hundred bioengineering students gathered around a conference-debate questioning their training. “Many experts say that the solution we must adopt is agroecology. But when we look at the course programs, we are far from all that. In some universities, we do not even mention agroecology !” denounces Fabre, an agronomy student. “And again, at ULB, I consider myself one of the best off compared to other institutions” he adds.
There is a big delay
But what is the problem exactly? “Some courses are too pro-GMO! (…) There is a big delay. There is a lack of field, and a cruel lack of social sciences. Engineers who only think technically, it is no longer at all compatible with the current challenges” explains Fabre.
Faced with this discrepancy, some young bioengineers have decided to branch off. To change paths, graduates or not.
It is clear that the issue of bioengineering education is a pressing one, with many students feeling disillusioned and disconnected from the current challenges faced by the world. The push for a more agroecological approach, and a greater emphasis on social sciences, is one that cannot be ignored. As young bioengineers consider branching off from their chosen career paths, it is up to universities and educators to listen and adapt to the changing needs of the field. Only then can we truly hope to meet the challenges of the future with the tools and knowledge required.