SEFI is a non-profit international organisation considered as the largest network of engineering education players in Europe active since 1973. Read about SEFI in your native language.

SEFI’s members are institutions of higher engineering education, rectors, deans, professors, students, but also companies and other international associations and societies involved in the field. The mission of SEFI is to contribute to the development and the improvement of engineering education in Europe, to emphasise the need for and to strengthen the image of both engineering education and engineering education professionals in society. See the founding members.

Our vision is to give inspiration to our members in their endeavours to evolve our engineering education community. We strengthen the connections that encourage and support others to become involved in the improvement of engineering education for the good of people and the planet.

Our mission:

The mission of SEFI is to contribute to the development and improvement of engineering education and to strengthen the understanding and knowledge of engineering education by bringing relevant stakeholders together through the sharing of ideas, good practice, common goals, and experiences. The scope of activities for SEFI comprises engineering education, and continuing engineering education for professionals, which reflects the importance and responsibilities of engineers within society and in a global context.

Our values:

Creative, innovative and professional in reaching the highest quality possible, taking into account the potential of new scientific insights, new technologies, and new approaches whilst encouraging creativity in our thinking, in our doing, in our learning and in our working;
Engaged and responsible in achieving our aims and objectives and fulfilling our mission for the benefit of higher and continuing engineering education in Europe;
Supporting and respecting diversity, equality and different cultures in our interactions and collaborations within SEFI and all over the world;
Inclusive in involving higher and continuing engineering education stakeholders, at individual, institutional, organisational and policy levels;
Open and transparent in promoting exchanges across disciplines and in cooperating in a good and open spirit;
Sustainable in working efficiently and effectively with technological achievements and within available environmental and economic resources, for the benefit of future generations;
Free from bias and unilateral impulses and always aiming to include different perspectives and professionalism in our decision-making.

Download the latest SEFI Statutes and Bylaws, as agreed in the extraordinary General Assembly in November 2020.

Our Strategic Plan for 2025–2027

1. A vision for innovation and collaboration

Our strategic plan focuses on fostering connections within the engineering education community to inspire innovative practices and solutions. By aligning our activities with our core mission and values, we aim to strengthen SEFI as a leading reference for engineering education across Europe and globally.

2. Strategic objectives and priorities

The strategy states clear objectives under four pillars: Reputation and Identity, Activities, Membership and Partnerships, and Internal Organization. Most important priorities include:

Enhancing SEFI’s visibility through strategic partnerships and building new relations.
Delivering high-quality publications and events, such as our annual conferences and academic Journals.
Expanding member engagement through targeted outreach, student involvement, and corporate partnerships.
Strengthening SEFI’s internal structure and governance to ensure sustainable growth and robust operations.

3. Addressing global challenges with innovation and strong fundamentals

In an era defined by complex global challenges—climate change, digital transformation, and societal shifts—SEFI’s Strategic Plan emphasizes the vital role of engineers as problem solvers and innovators. Our approach integrates a forward-looking perspective with modern engineering curricula with a solid foundation in traditional disciplines.

SEFI’s Strategic Plan empowers engineers to not only address immediate challenges but also contribute meaningfully to building a sustainable, equitable, and technologically advanced future society.

A living document

This Strategic Plan is not static; it is designed to evolve in response to emerging needs and feedback from our members and stakeholders. We will periodically review and refine our actions to ensure they remain impactful and relevant.

We encourage all members to actively engage with this strategy. Your insights, ideas, and participation are invaluable as we work together to shape the future of engineering education.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to SEFI’s mission. Together, we can make a lasting difference for the engineering education community and beyond.

Download our Strategic Plan for 2025–2027

Our priority themes

Attractiveness of engineering education

in general, making a major contribution to the attractiveness of engineering to potential students at all levels, as well as SEFI’s attractiveness to both established and young educators and researchers

Education and Skills - Employability

and ensuring the best preparation of graduates for European and worldwide employers, whilst supporting the improvement of more coherent engineering education processes;

Engineering education as a field of research

is developing strongly in Europe. This is vital to underpin the development of new educational practices and technologies to support the continued development of engineering education. There is a need to influence policies to ensure that this important research subject is adequately funded through EU programmes.

Capacity building

reshaping engineering education and contributing to the development of guidelines facilitating the mobility of graduates and students (accreditation/quality) in Europe and worldwide; taking into account the digital world where e-learning offers new possibilities and challenges, and where open and on-line learning and teaching may permanently change how engineering is taught and learned

We work on these topics through:

Special Interest Groups: the real backbone of SEFI, they produce appropriate publications and organise development and dissemination events in their specific domain. The special interest groups’ activities will be linked to ad hoc regional activities and their activities will be promoted by creating visible platforms for the merit of participants and contributors.

Annual conferences are the most important events of the Society and they are present true major engineering education events in Europe, providing a unique opportunity for meeting active SEFI members and newcomers in the engineering education community. They offer a high quality scientific programme and a unique opportunity for networking.

Regional conferences/seminars: these events are important to address certain issues to national policies and therefore there will be emphasis on the establishment of more SEFI regional activities.

Activities for deans, such as the Annual European Convention of Engineering Deans (ECED), organised in partnership with key engineering education partners, and the SEFI Engineering Deans Council (EEDC) which works closely with the Global Council of Engineering Deans. Activities for deans will be reinforced in identifying specific topics and events of their interest.

European Journal of Engineering Education about the engineering education research landscape with a European perspective, with stronger linkages between the annual conferences and the Journal.

Participation in projects: The participation in international education and research cooperation projects is another of the core SEFI activities. For the period, it will be important to establish and participate in new ERASMUS + and Horizon 2020 projects.