From Molecules to Meaning: A 10-Dimensional Vision for Post-2030 Chemical Engineering Education, Dr Mohamed Hassan

Dr Mohamed G Hassan
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
The University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, Highfield Campus, SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
ORCID: 0000-0003-3729-4543

Purpose: This chapter proposes a post-2030 vision for chemical engineering education that uses a 10-dimensional framework, from molecules and 2D balances through to LCA and sustainability decision-making, to reorient the discipline towards regeneration, resilience, and responsible innovation. It aims to show how chemical engineering can move beyond narrow technical training to form graduates capable of addressing climate, circular economy, health, and energy challenges in a complex, post-SDG world.
Design/methodology/approach: The chapter adopts a conceptual and design-oriented approach, drawing on literature in sustainability education, systems thinking, and engineering pedagogy, combined with practical teaching experience. It translates the 10 dimensions presented into an educational framework. The chapter maps these dimensions onto curriculum structures, learning activities, and assessment strategies for undergraduate and postgraduate chemical engineering programmes.

1. 2D thinking (balances and flows)
2. 3D thinking (reactor design, fluid dynamics, heat/mass transfer)
3. 4D dynamics (time, control, digital twins)
4. Ethics and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)
5. Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
6. Sustainability and the three pillars
7. Bio-based processes and circular economy
8. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) integration
9. Societal and policy interfaces
10. Future-facing, multidimensional mindset

Findings: The 10-dimensional lens reveals that traditional curricula are heavily concentrated in early dimensions (2D/3D technical analysis) and under-represent later dimensions such as ethics/MCDM, HSE systems thinking, circular bio-based design, and LCA-informed decision-making. Without deliberate integration of these higher dimensions, graduates are well-trained technically but under-prepared for the real-world complexity of post-2030 sustainability and regulatory landscapes. The proposed framework demonstrates how embedding all 10 dimensions across the curriculum fosters engineers who can move from “operating processes” to designing sustainable, ethically defensible systems.
Originality/value of the chapter: This chapter is original in offering a single, coherent 10-dimensional model that connects core chemical engineering science (molecules, balances, transport, dynamics) with advanced sustainability tools (LCA, circular economy), ethics, HSE, and multi-criteria decision-making. Rather than treating sustainability and ethics as add-on modules, it positions them as higher dimensions built on foundational technical skills, providing a concrete, visually intuitive roadmap for curriculum renewal after 2030.
Research limitations/implications: The framework is conceptual and grounded in current evidence and practice from a limited number of programmes. It does not yet include longitudinal data on student performance or graduate impact. Future research should empirically test the 10-dimensional model through pilot implementations, student feedback, learning analytics, and comparative studies across institutions and regions to refine and validate its effectiveness. 
Practical implications: For programme directors, accreditation bodies, and educators, the chapter offers a pragmatic blueprint for redesigning chemical engineering curricula. It suggests how to scaffold modules so that students progressively move from 2D/3D analysis to 4D dynamics, then into ethics/MCDM, HSE, sustainability, bio-based circular design, and LCA-driven decision-making. It highlights concrete opportunities for integrating digital twins, real-world case studies, and SDG/post-SDG challenges into teaching, thereby equipping graduates to act as multidimensional problem-solvers in a rapidly changing world.