Including the energetic and water supply crises discussion in a first-year course of Electrical Engineering program of University of São Paulo

摘要

This article is intended to present a strategy set in an undergraduate course of Electrical Engineering program of Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo (USP); the context in which this strategy was developed; what have been the students' opinion on such strategy and the new ideas for enhance this strategy and the lectures. The course is named Energy, Environment and Sustainability and since 2015 it is offered just to first-year students (it used to be also offered to the 2nd year students). The course's goals are to introduce students to the fundamental concepts on energy, particularly on electricity, and their relationship with the environment and sustainable development, covering the technical, socio-economic and political aspects. The students are asked to do a project during the course that was designed because of the energetic crisis occurred in Brazil in the 2000's (and nowadays again). There is an idea of including some questions about the water supply crisis next years, because of the water supply crisis Brazil is passing through since 2014 (especially in southeast region, where USP is located). The project developed by the students really can make them think about the energy issues and environmental, financial and social impacts. Apparently, the students realized the relationship between theirs future profession and the real problems directly related to energy.