Building an Engineering Education Ecosystem Under Resource Constraints A Retrospective Institutional Case Study from Jamaica

Abstract

Small developing states need engineering capability to maintain infrastructure, modernise industry, and address local challenges, yet their universities often face limited capital, small specialist faculties, and uneven pre-university preparation. This retrospective institutional case study examines the development of a full engineering education ecosystem at the case university in Jamaica. A participant-authored documentary record is triangulated with official webpages, statistical reports, quality-assurance documents, and leadership accounts. The analysis traces development from secondary school outreach and an electronics engineering degree in 2009 to a School of Engineering in 2013 and a Faculty of Engineering in 2018. Seven interacting mechanisms are identified: pipeline activation, resource-leveraged entry, programme diversification, enabling infrastructure and access, quality institutionalisation, boundary-spanning partnerships, and research-commercialisation capability. Early graduate records, international student achievements, and subsequent enrolment data provide descriptive evidence of workforce relevance and institutional durability. The case offers a transferable process model for incrementally building engineering capacity under resource constraints.