Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Session 2360

A Global Concentration in Engineering

Aparajita Mazumder, James Bean University of Michigan

Abstract

Globalization of industry and academics has created the need for engineers with a strong international education. To ensure an in-depth global education, Michigan Engineering will build on best practices of existing programs to implement a Global Concentration that takes into consideration the requirements of an engineering curriculum. This paper explores the design, development, implementation, and evaluation phases of the Global Concentration.

Focus will be on five salient features: a) flexibility of the framework to enable all engineering disciplines to be involved b) required international experience c) global engineering course content d) required cross-cultural course for engineers on global understanding e) evaluation mechanisms for the Global Concentration. The program will focus on interactions with China, UK and Mexico due to their competitive importance and existing programs in those regions. The Global Concentration in Engineering will provide future engineering students a solid foundation in international education, and will develop a group of US engineers with global engineering and communication skills.

1. Introduction

Globalization of technology, international operation of industries, global research ventures, global mergers, international communication networks facilitating information flow, global travel, are all factors motivating a focus on educating engineers for a global environment. Practicing engineers are increasingly asked to deal effectively with foreign suppliers, co- workers, and clients. When on global assignments for companies such as Motorola, Ford, GM, Daimler-Chrysler, Procter & Gamble for example, an engineer must possess not only technical skills but also cross-cultural skills based on knowledge of the “other ” culture and their own cultural biases. To increase the global competence of the US technical workforce and to train US engineers for leadership positions in the worldwide arena, many US institutions are now integrating international education into the engineering curriculum.

Engineering schools are at various levels for the integration of international education into the engineering curriculum. International exchange programs and international internship programs, specialized summer programs for engineers, short term “cultural discovery” tours, participation in international engineering consortium arrangements such as the Global Engineering Educational Exchange Program (GE3) and the International Association for Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) are some common approaches to international engineering education. The number of student participants varies from institution

Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2001, American Society for Engineering Education

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Bean, J., & Mazumder, A. (2001, June), A Global Concentration In Engineering Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9306