This book takes the point of departure of how engineering education shapes engineering identity via knowledge transfer and technology diffusion practice. The theoretical inspiration anchors in the notion of “epistemic mobility” in that transnational engineering education can be seen as knowledge-making on the move. With this “hypothesis” in mind, the book identifies a theoretical gap regarding whether engineering education is an epistemic phenomenon. 

It also explores the theoretical challenge of whether book can be regarded as “pragmatic,” as whether the notion of knowledge transfer – an economic term in general – can be appropriated with social and anthropological meanings. Hence, the development of engineering identity can be interpreted with such a cultural approach. This shapes a foundation to improve the understanding of engineering education with knowledge transfer and technology diffusion within and across universities and the broader society. Particularly, it fills the gap of seeing transitional engineering education in both global and local contexts. 

The book concludes that engineering education, knowledge transfer, and technology diffusion are “praxis” rather than merely “practice.” Praxis combines practice with reflections, leading to learning. Regarding transnational engineering education, such praxis is situated in the milieu of epistemic mobility. In this regard, this book makes synthetic sense of these domains in a transdisciplinary approach.

Xi Jin holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering, a Master of Science in Environmental Management, and a PhD in Engineering Practice. Professionally, he developed his skills as a specialist in technology transfer, having led the project to transfer European Pressurized Water Reactor technology to China. This unique project, conducted across cultures, has significantly shaped his approach to engineering education. Since moving to Australia in 2016, he has been inspired by the “Aalborg style” of engineering education, which is project-based and problem-focused. As an academic, he develops engineering ethics and engineering for sustainability modules embedded in an undergraduate work-integrated learning curriculum. As an Engineering Capstone subject coordinator, Xi also facilitates hundreds of student engineering capstone projects every semester, and focuses on engineering education in transnational contexts, in Australian terms.

Camille Dickson-Deane PhD is Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Civil, Environmental and Socio-technical Engineering, at the University of Technology Sydney. She holds a PhD in Information Science & Learning Technologies from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is an internationally recognized voice in educational technology, with scholarship spanning socio-technical knowledge systems, learning engineering, and the cultural factors shaping value-based ecosystems in education. Her current projects include AI-powered translation tools , Pedagogical Chatbots, Engineering Semiotics and Designing Learning Ecosystems. Her career has taken her across the Caribbean, North America, and Australia—through software engineering, instructional design, and academic leadership roles at institutions including the University of the West Indies, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Melbourne, and UTS—giving her a transnational perspective on how knowledge and technology diffuse across institutional and cultural borders. Her work has earned the AECT James W. Brown Publication Award (2025), the AECT Distance Education Book Award (2023), and the AECT Social Impact Award (2022). She is Editor-in-Chief of EdTechnica and co-editor of Global Perspectives on Educational Innovations for Emergency Situations (Springer), with more than 120 refereed publications examining culture, context, and technology diffusion in education.