Building Intercultural Skills in Engineering Students through Study Abroad

Jack Nelson; Katherine Cheh; Akshat Garg; Atin Dewan; Aparajita Jaiswal; Sakhi Aggrawal

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: International Division (INTL): Cultivating Global Competencies
Tagged Division: International Division (INTL)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 12
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/56040

Aparajita Jaiswal is an Intercultural Research Specialist with CILMAR, Purdue University. Her research endeavors revolve around exploring strategies for seamlessly integrating intercultural learning into both regular STEM curriculum and study abroad programs. Aparajita actively engages in offering guidance in developing research studies, curriculum enhancements, and assessment methods pertaining to integration and cultivation of intercultural competence. Her expertise extends to facilitating workshops and training sessions, catering to the needs of both staff and students within Purdue University.

visit author page

biography

Sakhi Aggrawal Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI) orcid.org/0000-0002-2274-0152

visit author page

Dr. Sakhi Aggrawal is a lecturer and research scientist in Purdue University’s Department of Computer and Information Technology. Her work explores how project-management frameworks, teamwork dynamics, intercultural competencies and AI tools can enhance STEM and engineering education. She also serves as a technical program manager at Google—industry experience that underpins her research on data-driven project management and agile methodologies. She is currently leading efforts to incorporate AI into educational curricula and teaching methods. Additionally, Aggrawal mentors students at various levels and is actively seeking collaborative opportunities in her field.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, developing intercultural competence (ICC) in higher education is essential, particularly in STEM fields where global challenges demand collaborative solutions. Study abroad programs are a key avenue for fostering ICC, but their effectiveness requires ongoing evaluation to ensure meaningful outcomes for participants. This study explores the experiences of 15 senior-level engineering students who participated in a semester-long study abroad program. Students wrote a final reflection as a part of the study abroad. The reflections were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. A rubrics was created to score each reflection quantitatively across five key dimensions: Identification and Awareness of ICC, Self-Examination and Reflection, Critical Assessment and Reframing of Assumptions, Exploration and Adoption of New Roles, and Development of a Plan for Action and Skill Acquisition. Further qualitative coding was performed to identify patterns and student quotes pertaining to each rubric criteria. The findings reveal that students demonstrated strong awareness of ICC and the ability to reflect on its significance within the engineering profession. They recognized the importance of ICC in improving teamwork, communication, and innovation in multicultural contexts. Students also highlighted how ICC could enhance their professional prospects by fostering better cross-cultural collaboration. However, areas for growth were identified, including the ability to critically reassess cultural assumptions, adopt new perspectives, and develop actionable strategies for skill acquisition. While students acknowledged the importance of these competencies, their reflections indicated a need for deeper transformation and integration of ICC into their engineering practice. This study highlights the importance of refining study abroad programs to provide more structured opportunities for experiential learning, critical reflection, and actionable skill development. Emphasizing the application of ICC in engineering-specific contexts can better prepare students to navigate diverse teams and design solutions that address the needs of varied communities. These findings highlight the potential for structured study abroad programs to equip engineering students with the intercultural skills necessary for success in an increasingly globalized workforce, where culturally sensitive problem-solving is crucial for addressing complex challenges. Keywords: Study abroad, engineering, STEM, reflection, intercultural competence

Citation
Format

Nelson, J., & Cheh, K., & Garg, A., & Dewan, A., & Jaiswal, A., & Aggrawal, S. (2025, June), Building Intercultural Skills in Engineering Students through Study Abroad Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56040

TY - CPAPER
AB - As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, developing intercultural competence (ICC) in higher education is essential, particularly in STEM fields where global challenges demand collaborative solutions. Study abroad programs are a key avenue for fostering ICC, but their effectiveness requires ongoing evaluation to ensure meaningful outcomes for participants. This study explores the experiences of 15 senior-level engineering students who participated in a semester-long study abroad program. Students wrote a final reflection as a part of the study abroad. The reflections were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. A rubrics was created to score each reflection quantitatively across five key dimensions: Identification and Awareness of ICC, Self-Examination and Reflection, Critical Assessment and Reframing of Assumptions, Exploration and Adoption of New Roles, and Development of a Plan for Action and Skill Acquisition. Further qualitative coding was performed to identify patterns and student quotes pertaining to each rubric criteria. The findings reveal that students demonstrated strong awareness of ICC and the ability to reflect on its significance within the engineering profession. They recognized the importance of ICC in improving teamwork, communication, and innovation in multicultural contexts. Students also highlighted how ICC could enhance their professional prospects by fostering better cross-cultural collaboration. However, areas for growth were identified, including the ability to critically reassess cultural assumptions, adopt new perspectives, and develop actionable strategies for skill acquisition. While students acknowledged the importance of these competencies, their reflections indicated a need for deeper transformation and integration of ICC into their engineering practice. This study highlights the importance of refining study abroad programs to provide more structured opportunities for experiential learning, critical reflection, and actionable skill development. Emphasizing the application of ICC in engineering-specific contexts can better prepare students to navigate diverse teams and design solutions that address the needs of varied communities. These findings highlight the potential for structured study abroad programs to equip engineering students with the intercultural skills necessary for success in an increasingly globalized workforce, where culturally sensitive problem-solving is crucial for addressing complex challenges.
Keywords: Study abroad, engineering, STEM, reflection, intercultural competence

AU - Jack Nelson
AU - Katherine Cheh
AU - Akshat Garg
AU - Atin Dewan
AU - Aparajita Jaiswal
AU - Sakhi Aggrawal
CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DA - 2025/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Building Intercultural Skills in Engineering Students through Study Abroad
UR - https://peer.asee.org/56040
ER -