Cultivating the Cross-Cultural Engineer: Key Insights

Abstract

The central thesis of this chapter is that intensive, short-term study abroad programs, designed for engineering students can provide significant benefits for professional development. Among the most important of these is the recognition that engineering is fundamentally a cultural activity. How engineers are educated and trained, the professional practice of engineering and the engineering design process are all culturally mediated. This leads to increased emphasis on intercultural awareness and enhancement of specific skills essential for professional engineers in a globalized environment. These skills are brought strongly into play for engineers engaged in open-ended problem solving (design thinking) in a diverse, multicultural team setting. Study abroad programs for engineers and other professionals can be made more effective in developing these skills by directly engaging participants in cross-cultural design thinking.