STARTING AY 2025–2026, the Ateneo will offer the Bachelor of Science in Innovation Design Engineering (BS IDE), a four-year undergraduate program that is a “first-of-its-kind” in the Philippines. The course includes a mandatory internationalization year, allowing students to take classes abroad in one of the Institut Catholique d’Arts et Métiers (ICam) campuses.

Modeled after ICam’s Parcours Ouvert program, BS IDE is a multidisciplinary course under the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) that integrates several fields of engineering, such as materials, civil, and mechanical. The program aims to hone students with skills relevant to solving problems related to global development across different disciplines.

In developing BS IDE, SOSE Dean Raphael Guerrero, PhD disclosed that the program intends to produce graduates with a wide range of expertise in engineering instead of specializing in one field.

Innovation in engineering education

Apart from developing extensive engineering expertise, BS IDE’s projected outcomes are aligned with SOSE’s mission of training students in the most advanced and appropriate science and technology to ensure appropriate and sustainable development. These expectations contributed as a motivating factor in the course’s establishment.

“We want to develop students who will contribute to national development. […] Given this general view of engineering, it might give students more creativity in identifying [and] designing solutions for [real-world] problem[s],” Guerrero expounded.

Notably, BS IDE Pedagogical Coordinator King Harold Recto, PhD shared that instead of writing a senior thesis, students for each year of the course will work on a tangible project, such as the creation of drones and boats, as well as sustainable housing that students will implement through the Habitat Project.

With these projects, Recto hopes that the course can encourage students to innovate in their preferred fields of engineering and apply their learnings in different ventures, such as managing a start-up business in various technologies.

In developing the course, BS IDE was designed with a unique curriculum, including subjects with 0.5 and 1.5 units in the program of study. Guerrero noted that the team— headed by Department of Information Systems and Computer Science Chair Patricia Abu, PhD—was responsible for developing the course and redesigning ICam’s short modules to fit the Ateneo curriculum.

Expectations and initiatives

Guerrero shared that after ICam’s visit to the Ateneo in 2019 to discuss their partnership, BS IDE was proposed as the University’s version of ICam’s special engineering course, which they also pioneered in France.

Following the proposal, the SOSE faculty underwent weekly seminars and orientations on problem-based learning and active pedagogy for one semester. Moreover, Guerrero said that the faculty members were trained on intercultural sensitivity by speakers from the Embassy of France in Manila.

In terms of preparing facilities, Guerrero stated that SOSE has already set up a fabrication laboratory at CTC 301, providing rapid prototyping machines such as 3D printers and laser cutters to support the students in concretizing their projects.

Recto added that the BS IDE team is working with the Campus Facilities Management Office to monitor the required venues as a response to previously expressed concerns over classroom availability.

Apart from infrastructural constraints, Guerrero shared that they struggled to establish a reliable internet connection to hold both online and onsite synchronous classes with students from international ICam campuses. However, Recto assured that they are working with the Digital Information and Technology Services to ensure stable internet connectivity upon the implementation of the course.

In anticipation of the program’s launch, SOSE Sanggunian Representative Gian Marquez mentioned the Sanggunian’s plan to closely communicate with the Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Department. To ensure the integration of BS IDE students into the Ateneo community, he shared possible activities that will be done, such as town halls and constituency checks.

Towards international relations

As one of the highlights of the program, a year of studying abroad is required for BS IDE students during their third or fourth year, where they will take the same classes with their international counterparts in ICam campuses, such as those in France, Ecuador, India, and Cameroon.

In discussing the expenses for BS IDE, Guerrero explained that while the tuition fees will remain the same, they are seeking scholarships and benefactors to support future students’ cost of living abroad.

“We wanted to produce engineers in IDE who are committed [and] compassionate, [while having] technical competence [that can guide them to] work with conscience,” Guerrero explained.

Following this, Marquez believes that the establishment of the program will expand SOSE’s reach beyond the Ateneo, thus hoping that the outcomes of the course will contribute new perspectives in nation-building and community development.