International Educational Exchanges for Engineers

I find it interesting that you would highlight a fledgling program in Engineering Exchanges like the one at RPI. We at UMDuluth have had a very active senior year exchange program with Lulea Technological University operating since 1997. In our IE program we have created a senior year with a one-to-one class substitution list so that our students can successfully complete their accredited degree in Sweden.

You may visit our department website: www.d.umn.edu~mie for details of the program.

Richard Lindeke, Professor at University of Minesota Duluth, at 9:55 am EDT on April 4, 2008

And what about language?

Increasing the number of US students who study abroad is a great idea. I’m always struck by the journal entries and essays of returning students who report with some amazement that one can live happily and well in another place, experiencing good food, public transportation, new forms of sociability — and more generally different sets of cultural values. It’s essential to creativity in ALL areas of life that people be able to imagine alternatives. Study abroad gives students a leg up in that regard.

But in what LANGUAGE are all these programs going to be offered? Language is a key to alternative ways of structuring “reality” and understanding human experience. From the absence of any mention of language as barrier or subject of study, I infer that the language of instruction will be English. That’s probably inevitable. But SOME sort of requirement to learn the local language should be built into every one of these programs.

Otherwise, students will believe they’ve experienced the country and culture, when in fact what they have experienced will be an English-language island within the country and culture. They’ll be the poorer for it, and so will the rest of us.

Beatrice, at 1:25 pm EDT on April 4, 2008

what will happen to non-traditional students?

Who’s going to pay for it? Many students are already taking out loans beyond their means to repay. This is just adding to the ticket price of graduating from their program. These types of initiatives punish students from low to middle income backgrounds and non-traditional students because the only way to fund such a trip is with additional loans and time away from their day-jobs. Engineering is one of those majors where the brightest and best can come from many difference classes and backgrounds. In fact, I would argue that the high starting income of engineers and stability of the profession attracts a higher number low income students looking for an escape from their circumstances. Mandatory program adjustments that cost more money to the students are bad; it will just increase the number of transfers away from the university and students who don’t graduate. The new college student works full time or near full time and does not have time for extracurricular activities. By the way what percentage of the student body at this university are classified as non-traditional students? This aspect of whom they are educating will actually show some evidence for success or failure of the new program initiatives.

boohoo, at 2:15 pm EDT on April 4, 2008

More Requirements With Fewer Returns

In a former existence I might have applauded such a concept. It certainly sounds like a good idea to have US professionals who are able to work across cultural and language barriers.

But as much as I hate to admit it, reality is closer to the inflammatory posts. First, primary destination nations are more likely to be other English-speaking nations (and no, I do NOT include India in that) thus negating the “cultural exposure” aspect of such a requirement.

Second, one semester or even one year is NOT a meaningful commitment to language and area study — especially if it’s from the ground up. The fact is that this sort of requirement signals engineering faculty’s incredibly low regard for non-engineering skills and education, as reflected by the comments here — and these people have no problem with the fact that the US routinely turfs out students who have invested far more time and effort in language and area studies to Starbucks and McDonalds. Teach these “pear-shaped losers” engineering skills? Even if they’re top students with excellent preparation you’d have had better luck employing blacks in 1950s South Africa — they are just not part of the “club.” Besides, there are always going to be plenty of foreign nationals to recruit from (at least, that’s what is commonly thought).

Third, the real focus of concern SHOULD BE why our graduate engineering programs are already the largest “study abroad” programs on the planet and how this is going to affect not only US competitiveness but also the US economy and the careers of US students in engineering.

Scrawed, at 5:15 pm EDT on April 4, 2008

Mechanics of how it works

It would be interesting to find out the program logistics. How does partner insitutions accommodate 100+ students at once? funding model? what would students be studying? What about students who cannot participate in this program for medical and personal reasons?

Yating Chang, Asst Director, Global Engineering Prog. at Purdue University, at 9:45 am EDT on July 3, 2008