Global engineering 101: A first year international ambassadorship program

Context: Facilitating students" capacity to engage with the world beyond the classroom is a challenge of which engineering educators have been aware for many years. In Australia, technical and professional aspects of this engagement are frequently described in the graduate attributes" of engineering schools. The pursuit to create world-class engineers has resulted in the now accepted methods of formally integrating classroom learning with authentic industrial ties, work experience and internships. Mechanisms such as course and program accreditation ensure that educators consciously plan for broader world engagement within the curriculum. Through the implementation of documents of expectations, such as the Engineers Australia Stage-1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and the Code of Ethics, standards are provided through which individuals can gain recognition in becoming world-class engineers. The recent internationalisation of the engineering industry has made it evident that the learning outcomes from Australian Universities must prepare students to be globally mobile. While the influx of international undergraduates to Australian universities exposes our students to aspects of multiculturalism, this remains in a domestic setting that merely results in a cosmopolitan on-campus society within the comfort of an Australian environment. Therefore the establishment of overseas mobility opportunities aims to create broader in-depth practical experiences that are authentically immersed within a foreign location. The School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide (UofA), together with the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), therefore piloted an international student ambassador program, in which first year undergraduate students from the UofA visited HIT to work collaboratively with the Chinese students. This overseas trip has already demonstrated the possibilities of further student engagement across both universities. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine preliminary findings in relation to an intensive exchange program between the two participating universities. Co-authored by students who were directly involved in this pilot, the paper discusses their perceptions, along with those of their peers, regarding the critical examination of the advantages and constraints of future possible faculty-driven exchanges. Approach: A group of students from the University of Adelaide travelled to the Harbin Institute of Technology in China to engage in a mutual learning experience alongside a class of Chinese students. The Australian students were situated in Harbin for a two-week period, working collaboratively with the Chinese students on a Computer Aided Design (CAD) project and a robotic challenge. These experiences were articulated through a measurable study that recorded both qualitative and quantitative data. Results: Preliminary results indicate this ambassador pilot program was successful. Survey responses indicated that participating students from the UofA are now more motivated towards having an international experience in their future vocations. It was also evident that social networks between the Chinese and UofA students have been established. Furthermore, many of the UofA students hope to develop their second language skills, although they do feel that there are limited opportunities to do so in their undergraduate curricula. Conclusions: The value of this pilot exercise demonstrates that Australian engineering education is likely to directly benefit through the introduction of global mobility programs into their curricula. The experience of the UofA students undertaking the HIT ambassador program indicates the critical importance of authentically immersing students within a foreign culture, as part of a cohesive systemic process that enables learners to engage and develop into professional engineers.