U.S.- Africa Workshop on Globalizing Engineering Education: Lessons Learned from US-Africa Partnerships

该奖项资助了一个具有以下目标的国际研讨会：确定有效的学习模式，将全球层面纳入工程专业学生的教育，并确定维持这一全球层面所需的基础设施和资源。研讨会将于2008年10月17日至18日举行，届时将有来自美国的工程学特邀教师、他们的非洲大学合作伙伴以及来自美国和非洲的学生参加。研讨会将在南非开普敦举行，在美国工程教育学会第七届年度全球学术讨论会和国际工程教育学会联合会全球峰会之前举行。研讨会的许多参与者还将参加ASEE和IFEES会议，因此可以立即与来自世界各地的工程教育工作者讨论研讨会的结论。通过让多国团队参与工程设计、技术服务和营销，工程正日益成为一个全球化的职业。然而，典型的本科工科课程往往充斥着必需的技术课程，以至于没有时间学习任何外语或出国留学。工程与技术认证委员会(ABET)要求所有经过认证的美国工程项目取得11项成果，其中一项规定，项目必须证明其学生获得了“必要的广泛教育，以了解工程解决方案在全球、经济、环境和社会背景下的影响”。此外，美国国家工程院预测，“2020年的工程师将必须了解如何以符合道德的方式调整解决方案，以适应发展中国家的限制。”为了变得更具多元文化敏感度、全球能力和全球竞争力，美国工程专业必须为有抱负的年轻工程师提供机会，让他们学习必要的技能和态度。尽管学生们对国际倡议的好处赞不绝口，但由于缺乏资源、缺乏机构支持和后勤问题，这些倡议往往举步维艰。在这次研讨会上，与会者将分享他们在非洲实施工程教育项目的经验，包括由国家科学基金会资助的活动，如本科生的研究经验和学生的国际研究经验项目，以及顶峰课程，以及其他课程倡议，如与和平队的伙伴关系。研讨会的参与者将总结经验教训、挑战和机遇，从而有助于更好地了解如何使美国工程教育全球化，以及如何有效地与其他国家的工程教育工作者建立互惠互利的合作伙伴关系。该奖项由NSF的工程教育和中心部门共同资助。

This award funds an international workshop with the following goals: to identify effective learning models that incorporate a global dimension in the education of engineering students, and to identify the infrastructure and resources required to maintain that global dimension. On October 17-18, 2008 the workshop will bring together invited engineering faculty from the United States, their African university partners, and participating students from the U.S. and Africa. The workshop will be held in Cape Town, South Africa prior to the American Society for Engineering Education's 7th Annual Global Colloquium and the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies' Global Summit. Many of the workshop's participants will also be attending the ASEE and IFEES meetings and so can immediately discuss the workshop's conclusions with engineering educators from around the world.Engineering is increasingly becoming a globalized profession by involving multi-national teams in engineering design, technical services, and marketing. However, the typical undergraduate engineering curriculum is often too full of required technical courses to allow time for any foreign language or study abroad courses. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires eleven outcomes of all accredited U.S. engineering programs, including one that says programs must demonstrate that their students attain "the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context." Furthermore, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering predicts that "the engineer of 2020 will have to understand how to adapt solutions, in an ethical way, to the constraints of developing countries." In order to become more multi-culturally sensitive, globally competent, and globally competitive, the U.S. engineering profession must provide opportunities for aspiring young engineers to learn the requisite skills and attitudes. Despite widespread accolades from students on the benefits of international initiatives, these initiatives often flounder because of lack of resources, lack of institutional support, and logistical problems. At this workshop, participants will share knowledge gained from their experience in running engineering education projects in Africa, including NSF-funded activities such as Research Experiences for Undergraduate-Sites and International Research Experience for Students projects, as well as capstone courses, and other curricular initiatives such as partnerships with the Peace Corps. The workshop participants will summarize the lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities, and so contribute to a better understanding of how to globalize American engineering education and how to effectively partner for mutual benefit with engineering educators from other nations.This award is co-funded by NSF's Division of Engineering Education and Centers.