Shadi Balawi

Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Shadi Balawi is an engineering education researcher whose work centers on transforming how design thinking is introduced and developed at the undergraduate level. Best known for pioneering an innovative, interdisciplinary design-and-build course embedded at the freshman level, Balawi has made meaningful contributions to the structure, content, and pedagogy of introductory engineering design education. His most cited work, "Engineering Design Education: When, What, and How" (2013, 16 citations), challenges traditional curricular placement of design courses and advocates for earlier, more intentional exposure to expert design thinking. Central to his pedagogical approach is Problem-Based Learning (PBL), an inductive teaching method that encourages students to engage with real-world challenges from the very start of their engineering studies, often supported by hands-on technological tools such as robotics platforms. Across multiple publications in 2012 and 2013, Balawi consistently champions the "cornerstone" model of engineering education — one that grounds students in systematic design processes before they encounter more specialized technical content. Though his citation counts remain modest, his focused body of work reflects a dedicated effort to reshape engineering curricula and better prepare the next generation of engineers for complex, collaborative design challenges.