In a brief but powerful editorial, Paul Peercy, Dean of Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares his understanding of engineering education in the 21st Century. Peercy describes the context in which today’s engineers and engineering educators operate - a fast-paced, interdisciplinary and multi-cultural community that is only becoming more interconnected and complex. He concludes his paper, suggesting the role that the GEDC can play in effectively addressing global Grand Challenges for Engineering.