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Summer Research Program for Meaningful International Experience

Abstract

An important aspect of engineering education in the 21st century must include the building of international awareness. A practical and highly impactful way for engineering institutions to foster this awareness is to provide international research programs and encourage students to take part in them, for experiences that are meaningful both academically and socially, and that will prove to be invaluable to them as working professionals. With the “flattening” of the world – or the increased competition in the global marketplace due to advancements in web technology – it is of great value for engineering students to learn about other cultures through collaborative educational interactions. One program to provide such an opportunity to engineering students is the summer research program. In such a program, students from universities in the United States can spend significant time working in research groups at foreign universities and students from other countries can spend time doing the same at a university in the U.S. An appropriate time for this activity would be in the summer after the junior year of study. With modest funding from industry and/or foundations, a summer research program can be established to provide meaningful international experience to a number of students.

Introduction

The explosive growth in computing and communication has revolutionized the way we work and live. Increasingly, the engineering work force is becoming more diverse as teams perform with a focus on the world economy. The influences of globalization, advances in technology and evolving demographics are changing the role of engineers in society1. Engineers of the 21st century will face new challenges and a different professional environment than those of their predecessors. The National Academy of Engineering study, “The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century,”2,3 reports on the critical issues facing engineering education, including the importance of education in the global context. The importance of global engineering excellence is presented in a Continental AG report4, where it is expected that future engineers will be globally-connected professionals with a broad understanding of different cultures and the issues that influence contemporary society. The relevance of a more international engineering education in the changing global context of engineering is also discussed in a recent National Science Board study5.

With expanded opportunity for commerce across nations6, companies and supply chains are becoming more international; globalization is here to stay. Increasingly, engineers native to and educated in the United States will go to work in countries such as India or China and will be immersed in those cultures. Conversely, graduates native to and educated in countries outside the U.S. will work in the U.S. or for U.S.-based

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Raghavendra, C. (2008, June), Summer Research Program For Meaningful International Experience Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3327