Impact of an international experience on students' global competences

Global engineering competences and skills have become increasingly vital to the practice of engineers. Consequently, developing these competences becomes an imperative in today’s engineering education. This research explores how an international project-based learning experience, involving solutions to engineering problems provided by different industries, allowed students to enhance global competences and skills.
Specifically, the aim of this research is to explore students’ perception of personal benefits gained from attending a one-week multidisciplinary international experience, and secondly, to explore how self-set goals align to Global Competences for Engineers (GCEs) and World Economic Forum (WEF) Education 4.0 skills. The study involved the delivery of an online survey which intersected both GCEs and (WEF) Education 4.0 Framework.
The initial results show the significant impact of international experiences on students' development of global citizenship, through exposure to a diverse cultural context, with participants describing how the experience allowed them to develop awareness and appreciation of cultural differences. Furthermore, the study highlights tangible improvements in various engineering competences, including problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.