Open think-tank on engineering education: A forum of “face-to-face” debate between stakeholders

This paper describes a model (and the respective guidelines) for the creation of a debate “think-tank” around the thematic of Engineering Education. From this initiative, a first outcome is obtained, in the form of the Engineering Education Forum 2016 (EEF 2016). The Engineering Education Forum is therefore intended to be a place of discussion and debate on this thematic. The model behind Forum encompasses different approaches and tendencies, looking at the past, analysing the present and discussing the future. From the EEF 2016, several outputs and outcomes can be obtained and used for future strategies on Engineering Education. They are presented in this work, the first one focusing on preliminary quantitative results, regarding both the profiles of involved stakeholders and the responses of participants to a number of challenges proposed to the participants of the “face-to-face” debate. The second group of outcomes is related to qualitative aspects, such as the sessions' content and debates, as well as hints for future initiatives following the EEF model.