Rick Vaz & Rick Sisson Worcester Polytechnic Institute Putting International Experiences at the Core of Engineering and Science Education

2 About Worcester Polytechnic Institute  2800 undergraduates, 1000 graduate students, 220 FTE faculty  Engineering (60%), science (30%), management (10%)  All undergraduates complete three projects –3 – 9 Credit Capstone in Humanities –9 Credit Society/Technology project –9 Credit Senior research/design project  WPI sends more engineering & science students abroad than any other US college or university

3 WPI Global Perspective Program  65 to 70% of students complete at least one project at an off-campus Project Center—most often the society-technology (Junior) project  Over 50% do at least one project at an overseas Project Center  Project Centers generally run for a single 7 week term with 24 students and 2 resident faculty advisors  Projects are sponsored by local organizations: public, private, non- profit, NGOs, and universities

4 WPI’s International Undergraduate Project Centers Society/Technology Projects  Melbourne, Australia  San Jose, Costa Rica  Copenhagen, Denmark  Venice, Italy  Windhoek, Namibia  Hong Kong, PRC  Cape Town, South Africa  Bangkok, Thailand  London, UK Senior Design/Research   Nancy, France   Limerick, Ireland   Venice, Italy   Kyoto, Japan   Wuhan, PRC – ME/MFE   London, UK Humanities and Arts Projects   Ifrane, Morocco   London, UK

5 Educational Motivations  Powerful learning environment –Experiential, problem-based –Research-intensive –Critical thinking –Evidence-based writing  Technology in context –Response to human needs –Addressing important problems –Design under constraints –Sustainable, appropriate solutions  NSF People Goal –“diverse, competitive, and globally engaged U.S. workforce”  ABET EC 2000 –“understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context”  The Engineer of 2020 –“wise, informed, and economical sustainable development”

6 Program Structure  Preparation in the US –2-4 months –History, culture. language –Project goal formulation –Research & methods –Team & project skills –Formal written proposal  Academic term abroad –2 months –Faculty advisors on site –Work fulltime on project –Deliverables –Weekly reviews –Formal project report –Oral presentations

7 Example: Bangkok Project Center  300 students on 95 projects since 1989  Nonprofit, government, NGO, and educational sponsors  Urban and rural settings Energy, environment, agriculture Sustainability and community development

8 Example: Increasing Awareness of Lahu Culture through Solar Technology Sponsor: Mirror Art Group, Ban Jalae, Chiang Rai

9 Project Objectives  Determine the needs of the sponsor and the Lahu community  Evaluate the success of a similar PV system at a different Lahu village  Design and install a sustainable solar power supply  Educate the Ban Jalae residents about the safety and maintenance of the PV technology

10 Project Results Functioning 1.2 kW PV systemFunctioning 1.2 kW PV system Technical & safety trainingTechnical & safety training Information postersInformation posters Recommendations for assessmentRecommendations for assessment

11 Impacts of the Program  Student learning –enhanced general education outcomes  Global preparedness –cross-cultural skills, contextual understanding  Student culture –go abroad, make a difference  Faculty culture –all departments involved  Community partners –mutual benefit, sustainable relationships

12 Other Benefits  ABET accreditation evidence –“understand engineering in global/social context”  Program appeal to women –Higher rates of participation than men  Faculty professional/personal development –Powerful experience, attractive opportunity  Multidisciplinary collaboration –Team teaching leads to other partnerships  Faculty research opportunities –Local and regional sustainability

13 Costs and Caveats  Students pay their own travel and living costs and are eligible for some extra financial aid  WPI sends two faculty advisors for 24 students  Sponsors at some sites pay a project fee to subsidize program costs  Program requires administrative support and faculty commitment from across campus  Overall cost/credit to the university is comparable to an on-campus technical course

14 Lessons Learned: Building Programs  Embed global experiences (not necessarily courses) into curriculum  Use global learning to enhance learning outcomes  Consider experiential learning models –Real problems that matter –Transferable cross-cultural skills –Contextual understanding  Invest in people –Student preparation –Faculty development  Build sustainable partnerships –Sponsors and communities –Other local partners

15 Lessons Learned: Building Support  Campus culture matters –Students –Faculty –Administration  Leverage external forces –Accreditation and professions –Employers and policymakers –Grant and foundation support  Assessment and evaluation –Evaluate learning –Enhance programs –Win over skeptics

16 For More Information / /

MQP/Senior Project in China - doing projects and beyond Professor Kevin Rong Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA, USA

18 A technical and cultural experience Travel Work in teams of American and Chinese students Projects are sponsored by industry NSF support

19 MQP in China 2005 Beijing Beijing Beijing Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Hubei Province and Wuhan City Hubei Province and Wuhan City Hubei Province and Wuhan City Hubei Province and Wuhan City HUST Campus HUST Campus HUST Campus HUST Campus Wudang Mountain Wudang Mountain Wudang Mountain Wudang Mountain Transportation in China Transportation in China Transportation in China Transportation in China –Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi’an, Luoyang –Hua Mountain, Tai Mountain, Song Mountain –Three Gorges

21 Our first authentic Chinese meal in Beijing near Tsinghua University at around 10pm after our long plane excursion. The price of all of this food? Around 10 USD for all 6 of us. Beijing was the first place we stopped in China. We arrived around 11:00 pm local time and had a late dinner. Beijing is the capital of China

22 Meeting with the president of HUST

Hubei Province and Wuhan City

24 Food in China differs a great deal depending on the agriculture of the area. Most of it is unique, although it is very easy to find something more western than most things when you get tired of the traditional Chinese food. This shop is selling various forms of duck and the Chinese students we were with ordered us some duck neck which is considered a treat.

25 MQP in China 2006: Pictures Beijing City Beijing City Beijing City Beijing City Wuhan City Wuhan City Wuhan City Wuhan City HUST Campus HUST Campus HUST Campus HUST Campus Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Tai Mountain Tai Mountain Tai Mountain Tai Mountain Three Gorges Trip Three Gorges Trip Three Gorges Trip Three Gorges Trip

26 The Forbidden City Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

27 Great Wall

28

29 Yellow Crane Tower City Street

30 Tai Mountain Hu Tian Pavilion Eighteen Bends Kong Zi statue

31 Three Gorges Trip

32BackgroundVision –Global economics –Manufacturing outsourcing –R&D globalization and collaboration –Engineers with multi-culture backgrounds Working at different locations Working with people with different cultural background Working in a way to define and solve problems in different conditions

33 Background (cont.) Engineering education at WPI –Project based education –Project centers and junior projects: IQP –Expansion to senior projects: MQP Directly define/solve technical problems in engineering disciplines Potential hires by companies doing global business Leadership in global operation –To compare/evaluate the difference of higher education systems

34 Background (cont.) Engineering education at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) –Top engineering university in China –Taking lead in education reform in ME National committee director and general secretary –Design creativity programs for selected students –Plan to combine ME related majors into a more general ME –Strong intention to enhance the communication with foreign universities at all levels, but emphasized at the undergraduate level.

35 Background (cont.) Mission –To provide WPI and HUST students an opportunity of experiencing global economics, engineering, research, and education, as well as different culture, through Working/living in multi-cultural environment Teaming up with Chinese/USA colleagues Working with companies doing global business Meaningful projects Learn to respect and seek options

36 Background (cont.) Implementation –Planned three years ago –Visits from/to HUST and WPI –Agreement on exchange senior project –Students exchange at their own cost –Collaboration on project sponsoring and advising –Starting from manufacturing engineering –Delayed due to SARS and the WAR

37 Implementation in 2005 Started summer 2005 –4 WPI students working with 5 HUST students in 2 groups for 7 weeks –Students stayed on campus and immersed into Chinese culture with activities beyond technical projects –Projects were designed by HUST professors –3 other groups with HUST students designed their own projects –Co-advised with HUST/WPI professors –Plant tour to learn about Chinese industry –Reports and finishing up after the 7 weeks –WPI students learned a lot about China outside the project (a lot of pictures) –Excellent arrangement, logistically/economically

38 Learned by WPI students Chinese culture –Economic development –Working/living environment –HUST/Tsinghua campus/higher education –People and communication –Sight seeing (Beijing, Wuhan, Wudang Mountain) –Food –Team with HUST students/professors Taste culture Technical skill/learning style of HUST students Confidence

39 WPI students said Doing a project in China was an unbelievable learning experience, not just on the school front, but also on the cultural front. I learned a lot about the design process and how you need to change things depending on what equipment you have to manufacture the parts. …… Overall, it was a wonderful and eye- opening experience that I would recommend to anyone who gets the opportunity to go. I only wish we had time to have seen more of the country, but I can always go back. The best part was working with students from another culture and learning from them about their country. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of what China is really like and to see how they view our own country. I gained an entirely new perspective of Chinese life, culture, and ideas that I never would have expected. My only regret about the trip was that we couldn’t stay longer.

40 WPI students said (cont.) It’s hard to say what was more impressive, whether it was standing in the center of Tiananmen Square, climbing the Great Wall, hiking the slopes of a Taoist mountain, or looking across the lake at the emperor’s Summer Palace, but one thing is for sure, these are things I will remember for the rest of my life. When I signed up for the MQP in China, I knew that it was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not very many students get to experience a different culture through working with foreign students in a foreign country on an undergraduate project. The time I spent in China was amazing. We were also able to be immersed in the Chinese culture, but because we were with the Chinese student partners, there was no culture shock. We were just able to enjoy the scenery and culture without getting frustrated because of the language barrier.

41 Learned by HUST students Exploration of new ways of thinking Team work and leadership role The process to start and conduct a project Design justification is as important as the design itself. The way to work with US students, particularly the way of communication, understanding, and coordination. Develop a “Feel” about the life of US students

42 HUST students said My biggest gain in this project is to know a good procedure of doing a project –How to start, how to discuss with people, how to come up with initial idea of a new design, and how to present the idea/results of the project Particularly, I learned how to represent myself –My idea, the work we have done, the results and conclusion of the project, and more importantly, the person I am. I am impressed by the WPI students on –Their intention to take the leadership; –Their confidence on what they are doing; –Their quick way to implement the ideas we may have; –Their curiosity on finding new things they do not know, not necessary to be project related.

43 MQP in China, 2006 MQP in China was continued New NSF funding support –For travel and lodging expense of students and professors, plus one planning trip Projects have been well designed/selected –8 WPI senior and 1 BS/MS students were selected –Working together with 12 HUST students –Sponsors of five projects HUST Tonji Hospital (2) Saint Gobain Shanghai Operation American Industrial Partners at Wuxi Paper Clips Factory in Zhejiang Implementation –Well supported by HUST and WPI

44 WPI-HUST Project Center WPI-HUST Senior Project Center of Mechanical Engineering –Co-directors from WPI and HUST –Involvement of other professors –Industry support –Meaningful projects from industry from industry In China and at Worcester Education innovation projects projects –USA NSF –China ??

45 WPI-HUST Center Operation Exchange programs –Ten WPI students to HUST Currently in summer, E-term Senior/graduating projects Five real world projects –Ten HUST students to WPI Currently in March – May, D-term Possible mix with WPI students Industry projects Co-advisor at HUST

depart in two weeks 10 HUST students at WPI for 7 weeks (just went home) –Completed 4 projects with WPI students and faculty –2 lean manufacturing projects were in Mexico (visit for 2+weeks) –Final presentations at WPI and the company sponsors 15 WPI students to China for 8 weeks –2 women –5 projects –Sponsored by US companies and local hospitals –Will be co-advised by WPI/HUST and sponsors –Will form teams with HUST students

47 Summary A global experience for undergraduates provides opportunities for learning

48 Joint MS and Ph.D. Degrees with WPI and HUST Students will complete ½ of their credits at each university and ½ of their time Looking for American students to participate

49 Questions?