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Global Programs Bridging International Experiences for Students & Faculty
February 3, 2012
As Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology steps up its global
outreach opportunities, campus life welcomes the global
world. Enriched by visitors from nations as diverse as
China, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, Rose-Hulman's small
community atmosphere includes a global aspect,
and the hallways and cafeterias ring with many
languages.
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Expanding "Cultural IQ": Phil Cornwell, vice president for
academic affairs, was part of a Rose-Hulman delegation that
recently visited educational and cultural sites throughout
Japan.
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"Our world has become an increasingly globalized society, and
the engineering, scientific, and mathematical projects our students
are being prepared to solve are often at the world scale," states
Luchen Li, associate dean of global programs. "Our students'
success now depends not only on their technical ability, but also
on their global agility and leadership skills in a global
context."
To meet such needs, Rose-Hulman has enriched the curriculum with
cultural components and is providing students with unprecedented
opportunities and incentives for study abroad, overseas internship,
and job placement with multinational corporations.
Last fall, President Matt Branam signed a dual-degree agreement
with Germany's Ulm University of Applied Sciences. This
program allows graduate students in electrical engineering and
engineering management to complete coursework at Ulm and
Rose-Hulman, and receive degrees from both institutions.
Additional dual degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate
levels are being developed with other international
institutions.
"Rose-Hulman and Ulm have a lot of commonalities, and we could
be an international asset to each institution," stated University
of Ulm Rector Achim Bubenzer. "We think this dual-degree
program is just the beginning of similar educational programs
between our institutions. The opportunities are
enormous."
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Expanding International Relationships: Rose-Hulman President
Matt Branam and Germany's Ulm University Rector Achim Bubenzer
discuss the international education collaboration that's prospering
between the two institutions.
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Exchange programs are engaging students from Japan, South Korea,
Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, among others. Study
abroad sites are expanding to more countries. Eight Brazilian
students will begin a one-year study program on campus this spring
through the Science Without Borders program. These programs
complement the increasing efforts of international recruitment.
Branam and Phil Cornwell, vice president for academic affairs,
recently visited Japan's Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) and
University of Aizu to examine best international educational
practices. Rose-Hulman has a 20-year relationship with KIT,
the country's leading technological institution. Meanwhile,
Jim Goecker, vice president for enrollment management, went
to India in search of attracting more students from the region to
study at Rose-Hulman. Li went to the Royal Institute of
Technology in Sweden to set up a partnership for student exchange
and faculty collaborative research.
Helena Bernald, an international cross-cultural communications
specialist, visited campus this winter to visit students
participating in a Computing in a Global Society course that
completed a collaborative international design project with
students from Sweden's Uppsala University. Rose-Hulman's
Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering also has
international projects with Turkey's Bilkent University.
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Thumbs Up For Global Studies: International cross-cultural
communications specialist Helena Bernald has worked with
Rose-Hulman students for several years participating in
collaborative international design projects with students from
Sweden's Uppsala University.
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Bernald believes these international experiences are important
in the development of engineers and computer scientists with a
global perspective.
"Tomorrow's engineers are going to have a vast knowledge of the
world around them, and how what they're creating will affect other
cultures and lifestyles," she said. "(Rose-Hulman) students
need to not only have the ability to communicate well in meetings
with Americans from many diverse backgrounds, and then turn around
and have a group meeting, possibly through Skype, with students
from Sweden, Turkey, China or Japan. The world is getting
smaller -- and flatter -- all of the time."
Li asserts that Rose-Hulman's global outreach efforts can only
be successful with the engagement and participation of its
alumni. These international programs will include global
continuing education, and building partnerships with governments
and industries.
"The wisdom, support and championship from our alumni, families
and friends will be highly valued and greatly appreciated," he
said.