Goal to Increase Global Exposure Among Engineering Students

world by graduating talented, broadly educated engineers, conducting high quality research, developing new technologies, and creating, disseminating and preserving knowledge.” Increasingly, engineering graduates will be expected to have some level of global competence, as “the engineers who will be the leaders of the future will often manage and direct global engineering activities.”2 Some of the most valuable characteristics of global competence among engineering graduates include: 1. Can appreciate other cultures. 2. Are proficient working in or directing a team of ethnic and cultural diversity. 3. Are able to communicate across cultures. 4. Have had a chance to practice engineering in a global context, whether through an international internship, a service-learning opportunity, a virtual global engineering project or some other form of experience. 5. Can effectively deal with ethical issues arising from cultural or national differences.2 Learning abroad experiences can help engineering students develop some or all of these characteristics of global competence. In fact, providing students with global opportunities i