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Effective Internet Based International Projects to Enhance Students’ Multidisciplinary Skills

Roxanne Jacoby, Jean Le Mee The Albert Nerken School of Engineering, Cooper Union

Abstract

The substantial advances in Internet technology of the past decade have tremendously facilitated rapid, relatively inexpensive communications around the globe. In education, a great variety of creative, easy to implement, budget oriented collaborative projects between domestic and overseas colleges and universities have become a reality. The Globetech International Joint- Venture Project Simulation developed and offered on the Internet free of charge by Cooper Union for the past seven years, is one of those successful collaborative projects. The simulat ion was developed under the auspices of the Gateway Engineering Education Coalition. More than 350 students and faculty from 12 engineering and business schools, from five countries on three continents, have participated in the seven Globetech simulations offered up to now. The project aims at developing students’ practical global technology management, and other multidisciplinary skills, through the creation and negotiation of Requests of Proposals (RFP’s) and Proposals for several international joint-venture projects each year. In the same time, since most of the projects deal with new, clean, renewable energy sources, or other new technologies, the simulation has the added benefit of exposing the students to practical engineering and managerial concerns they might encounter in their future careers. It also gives them an ethical background related to sustainable development and environmental issues, which will play a major role in the years to come. This article presents our positive and sometimes not so positive experiences with this project, and aims to encourage other schools to participate in this, or similar projects.

Introduction

We live in very exciting times. A time when, due to rapid increase in globalization, most products assembled in the United States have more than 70% of their content supplied by various domestic and overseas firms. As examples consider the motors fabricated in Japan for the Big Three American car manufacturers, or the many essential parts and subassemblies imported by Boeing for their planes. It is a time when staying competitive, at the cutting edge of technology, bringing to market products desired by customers, of excellent quality and at competitive prices, is absolutely essential.

One question that comes to mind is how do we, the engineering schools and faculty, prepare our students for this new, brave world? Do we give them enough overall understanding of the world they are about to enter? Do we provide the right tools for professional success?

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Jacoby, R., & Le Mee, J. (2002, June), Effective Internet Based International Projects Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11263