College of Engineering offers unique overseas programs
Because engineering is a more and more global field, Boston University’s College of Engineering is strongly encouraging capable students to study abroad to help them develop a worldwide perspective of the future careers.
College of Engineering dean ad interim Solomon Eisenberg said students learn the same engineering skills abroad that they would learn on campus, but they gain valuable understanding of other cultures and perspectives.
“The technical skill sets around the world are virtually universal,” Eisenberg said. “[The abroad programs] are about understanding that the way we look at things in the U.S. is different than other countries in the world. Seeing that there is a different way to look at a problem has value.”
ENG senior and alum of the Dresden, Germany engineering program Dominika Kulinski said she appreciates being exposed to foreign methods.
“[In Dresden], I learned a wider perspective,” she said. “I found that solving a problem one way was not always the best way.”
Kulinski said studying abroad made her realize that although she will most likely interact with people from other countries during her career, it is not as daunting as it originally seemed.
“It became evident that you don’t need to speak the same language to communicate,” she said. “You speak with numbers and you can get information across that way.”
ENG established one of the first study-abroad programs in the country specifically designed for engineers in Dresden, Germany in 2001. The program’s success has prompted the college to start additional programs in other parts of the world. This spring, ENG students are also studying in Guadalajara, Mexico and a third site will be added in Tel Aviv, Israel next spring.
According to Eisenberg’s presentation at the Photonics Center last week on studying abroad, engineering students around the world learn the same technical skills, so the primary advantage of studying abroad is gaining new insight into other cultures that will benefit students during their professional careers.
