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5th Global Student Forum Outcomes: GLOCAL Engineer: Qualities and Competencies Engineers in a global knowledge-based economy must be equipped with technical and professional skills to work with a vastly divergent array of problems, partners, and cultural contexts. They must also be attuned to the nuances of engineering challenges in particular local contexts. How do these two seemingly conflicting skill-sets-relevant local experience and global sensitivity-resolve themselves in the qualified "GLOCAL" engineer? How are training programs appropriately preparing engineering students to meet these demands? What other experiences and curricular changes might better serve the GLOCAL engineer in transferring the necessary qualities and competencies?
The 5th GSF addressed contemporary curricular approaches and new teaching methodologies that equip students with unique skills to answer these demands. Students went from discussion to action; by the closing day of the forum, students had action plans to address issues in their home institutions. To accomplish these overall goals, participants first participated in a series of interactive discussions and workshops in domains related to the teaching of GLOCAL skills and competencies. As a result of these discussions, students came up with a number of conclusions. Sat., May 16: Overview and Balance in Engineering Education The first day provided an overview, giving students the chance to share their own research interests and discuss how their home institutions generally deliver the skills and competencies required of a GLOCAL engineer. These issues were placed in the larger context of all of the GSFs and their missions. Students debated the necessary balance between local and global as well as between hard and soft skills and discussed how these tensions are resolved in their home institutions. Sun., May 17: Professional Skills and Practical Experience The second working day focused on the "soft skills" required of GLOCAL engineers and how recent EE developments address these demands. Students participated in workshops on cultural competence and presentation skills as well as a discussion on laboratory work, practical experience, and the transition to the workplace. The day ended with groups of participants trying to answer the question: "What is the ideal overall curricular structure for an engineering degree?" Mon., May 18: Pedagogies, Skills and Competencies, and Action Plans On the final working session day, students addressed teaching methods used to impart these various skills to GLOCAL engineers. After going over a general array of teaching methods, the entire group had a discussion on service learning. Students presented their first ideas for action plans and received feedback as they came up with creative solutions to advance engineering education in their home institutions. IFEES Summit GSF participants attended the Wednesday IFEES Summit sessions, where they heard about recent and ongoing EE initiatives regionally and internationally. The GSF theme directly complemented the IFEES Summit theme by addressing the programs and pedagogies that comprise a high-quality engineering training program. For further information click here! Students also presented initiatives they are already involved in to the attendees at the IFEES Summit. Posters will be updated soon!
ACTION PLANS The student forum provided working time for students to formulate individual or group action plans that tackle problems students identified in their home institutions. Further, students will give updates on action plans during a dedicated session in the 6th Global Student Forum and through virtual communication channels in the SPEED network.
More about the action plans click here! |
