INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP IN STUDENT-CENTERED
ENGINEERING DESIGN ACTIVITY

This paper describes a non-programmatic, extra-curricular-based, student-centered, international project. This is an example of a project that can readily provide engineering students with the opportunities for experiencing engineering abroad as well as for developing communication and interpersonal skills without requiring any structural changes or curricular reform. The project's particular objective is to promote student-centered design activities on Yeungnam University (YNU) in Korea. Michigan Technological University (MTU)'s role is to provide technical information on the Mini-Baja (all-terrain vehicle) and Formula (openwheeled race car) projects in which students design and build vehicles for competitions sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In the first phase of the project, seven students and two faculty advisors from MTU visited YNU to demonstrate the vehicles, explain the details of the competition, and present technical workshops on vehicle design. In the second phase, six students and two faculty advisors from YNU accompanied the MTU' team to the 1996 Mini-Baja Competition in the U. S. This international project has been very valuable for all parties involved. First, MTU students had additional motivation to excel in their own design projects and provide leadership to others. Second, YNU students received a jump start on the development of student-centered design activities. With the first hand experience of the competition and sample vehicles to benchmark their own development, YNU was able to host a student-designed off-road vehicle competition for the first time in Korea. And finally, students from both sides gained a valuable international cultural experience. The possibility of multinational design team is currently under consideration.

INTRODUCTION

Recently a great deal of new demands is placed on the engineering education. First, there is a call for a heightened awareness of international perspective in engineering education and for providing opportunities for engineering students to gain international experience. For example, the executive committee of the Council on International Educational Exchange expounded on the need "to internationalize our educational institutions, including expansion of student opportunities for study and work abroad" to maintain national competitive edge. ^l Another example is an article in a magazine for engineering students² which states that "It will require that engineers know state-of-the-art technology, avoid obsolescence, and have a global perspective." In the recent Global [Engineering] Dean's Conference,³ Ford explained its need for "seamlessness" in engineering program to enable the students to "move from country to country and continue their education with little or no interruption."

There is an ample evidence that major engineering organizations are responding to these calls. For example, the theme for the 1997 International Congress of the Society of Automotive Engineers was "Global Technology Partnership" and that for the 1997 ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Conference⁴ was "Mechanical Engineering Education for Global Practice." Discussed during those conferences were the proposed and existing programs such as international co-op or internship programs, multi-national engineering degree programs, the development of foreign language-based engineering courses, and study-abroad programs. These programs involve systematic changes to incorporate international experience and perspective in the engineering curriculum. However, there are problems with these systematic changes. While they may be effective, they are in general rarely implemented or sustained.

Then, there is a call from industry and educators alike, demanding that engineering students acquire communications skills and interpersonal skills (team work) in addition to their technical skills while they are in school.5 A similar call is made by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) for the engineering colleges to re-examine and reshape their curricula and programs "to ensure they prepare students for the broadened world of engineering work." ⁶

There is some evidence that engineering educators are also heeding these calls. For example, several textbooks on introduction to engineering^7,8 that emphasize the importance of "soft" skills in engineering have become mainstream. However, very often, the "soft" skills are incorporated into the existing curricula as additional elements for engineering students to learn in class. Consequently, there is a growing concern, and legitimately so, for the over-crowding and/or "dilution of technical component" in the engineering curriculum.

In view of these two contexts, this paper describes a project which can give engineering students an international exposure as well as provide a forum for exercising their communication and interpersonal skills without requiring any structural changes or curricular reform. This project is based on extra-curricular activities, but has a sufficient technical content for students to receive credits equivalent to a senior technical elective course. This project is described in the following section.

THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT

This project's main objective is to promote on YNU campus student-centered design activities such as MTU's Mini-Baja (all-terrain vehicle) and Formula (open-wheeled race car) projects in which students design and build vehicles for competitions sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). This project progressed in two phases. In the first phase, seven students and two faculty advisors from MTU visited YNU to demonstrate the vehicles, explain the details of the competition, and present technical workshops on vehicle design. MTU donated its Formula and Mini-Baja vehicles to YNU. In return, YNU paid the travel expenses for the MTU team. In the second phase, immediately following the MTU's visit, six students and two faculty advisors from YNU accompanied the MTU's Mini-Baja team to the competition in the U.S. The YNU team participated in the competition as observers. MTU paid for YNU's trip expenses in the U. S.

This international partnership was initiated because the author was keenly aware of the needs of engineering colleges in both Korea and the U. S., and was able to match their needs. The author matched the YNU's need to promote student-centered engineering design activities and the MTU's need to promote international experience for their own students. The author also matched their resources: YNU had the funds to develop programs and MTU had the studentdesigned vehicles to offer.

It is necessary to describe the entire project chronologically to appreciate the quality of the interaction between MTU and YNU students and faculty.

Phase 1: Visit to YNU

Pre-trip interaction: Interaction between MTU and YNU students began as soon as this program became "oificial". The students corresponded mainly through e-mail. They started interacting at the level of getting acquainted and then rapidly progressed to planning the trips and events. In the mean time, MTU students fine-tuned the vehicles and disassembled them for shipping. They also prepared for their presentations. YNU students prepared for MTU's visit to YNU and their own visit to Mini-Baja Competition. The planning of the two international trips for thirteen people was in itself a major task.

Day 1: The MTU team composed of seven students (six male students and one female student) and two iaculty advisors arrived in Seoul and spent the first day touring the city. The students were excited, as only one student had ever been abroad before this trip.

Day 2: On the next day, the MTU team visited Seoul National University and gave a one-hour seminar on SAE activities. The audience consisted of faculty and students from several engineering schools in Seoul. This short visit was arranged for several reasons. First, visiting institutions other than YNU was necessary to give the MTU students a wider perspective on the institutions of higher education in Korea. Second, it provided a forum for exploring future opportunities with other institutions. And, thirdly, a short seminar allowed the MTU students to have a practice run on their presentations before the main event at Yeungnam University.

The MTU team arrived in Daegu airport in the late afternoon and was greeted by YNU students (entirely male) and faculty advisors. The MTU team was taken to a hotel and, later, was given a welcome banquet.

Day 3: The MTU team took a tour of an ancient city of Kyungju with the YNU team. The YNU team brought their friends, including a female student to accompany the lone female student from MTU. The day-long activity allowed a natural setting for the students from two institutions to become fully acquainted with each other. Students sang together, shared jokes, and exchanged personal notes on college life. The intimate nature of interaction was necessary to form a strong basis for multi-national teamwork. On returning from the tour, students regrouped to explore the "night scene."

Day 4: The morning session consisted of a series of presentations about MTU, SAE, the organization of SAE student branch at MTU, and general information on Formula and MiniBaja competitions. The early afternoon session consisted of a series of technical presentations about the design of Formula and Mini Baja vehicles, including presentations on structural testing of chassis, vibration measurements, gear box design, design time-line, and budget. The late afternoon session consisted of hands-on activities, such as reassembling, test driving, and fine-tuning the vehicles. Each session was followed by a lively question and answer period. Because of the universality of technical terms, translation was needed only on few occasions .

In the evening, the MTU students checked out of the hotel and spent the night at the homes of students of the YNU team. They had an opportunity to observe the Korean family life closely and experience the social and cultural traditions of Korea.

Day 5: The MTU's Formula and Mini-Baja vehicles were rolled out for public display and demonstration. YNU sent out an invitation to nearby engineering schools to participate in this event. Major networks and news-media covered the event. Several students were interviewed by the media and later saw themselves in the evening news. At the end of the day, more cultural and social events followed.

Day 6: The MTU and YNU teams departed for the U.S. to participate in the second phase of the program, the 1996 Mini-Baja Competition held in Milwaukee-area, Wisconsin.

Phase 2: Mini-Baja Competition

This was a three-day event with participation from over sixty engineering colleges in the U. S. Teams from Canada, Mexico, and Brazil were also represented. The first day consisted of static design judging with a heavy emphasis on safety considerations. The second day consisted of dynamic performance testing of acceleration, braking, top speed, hill-climb, weight pull, and maneuverability. The third day was the endurance testing in which the vehicles ran continuously for four hours on a very rough terrain. The vehicle with the most number of laps finished was declared the winner of the event.

The MTU team hosted a welcome reception and dinner for the YNU team. Students shared room and socialized in the evening. During the competition, the YNU students participated as observers. At the end of the competition, the MTU and YNU teams attended a professional auto racing event together.

THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT CONTINUED

After the visits, students edited a photo album and a video tape documenting their visits. The students continued to correspond and planned for future interactions. As the result of the initial visits, two more activities were initiated.

Competition at Yeungnam

YNU hosted a off-road vehicle competition in Korea in November 1996. Twenty-one teams from all over Korea participated in the event. However, the MTU team was unable to attend the event. The rules and regulations for the competition were based on the Mini-Baja Competition in the U. S.

SAE International Congress

MTU's SAE team invited the YNU team to co-sponsor the student booth program of the 1997 SAE International Congres.s, held in Detroit, Michigan. The MTU-YNU joint team explained the aforementioned international project to the booth audience. The highlight of the booth program was the signing of the YNU team as an SAE student branch. Students then visited Henry Ford's Greenfield Museum and toured Chrysler's Cirrus/Stratus final assembly plant. Students socialized in the evenings.

The interaction between MTU and YNU teams is on-going, and the formation of a multinational design team is currently under consideration.

CONCLUSIONS

Discussed in this paper is a non-programmatic, extra-curricular-based, student-centered, international project. Rather than trying to institutionalize international programs or add new "soft" elements to already full engineering curriculum, engineering educators need to explore the possibilities of providing students with the opportunities for international experience through many small scale projects such as the one described in this paper. The implementation of the program depends mainly on the international "human" resources of individual faculty members. This international "human" resource is abundant in engineering departments given the fact that engineering faculty often have access to international community through their professional, technical, social, and familial connections. Therefore, it is possible to develop many similar projects in most engineering schools.

This international program has been very valuable for all parties involved. First, MTU students had additional motivation to excel in their own program and provide leadership to others. Second, YNU students received a jump start on the development of student-centered design activities. With the first hand experience of the competition and sample vehicles to benchmark their own development, YNU was able to host a student-designed off-road vehicle competition for the first time in Korea. And finally, students from both sides gained an international cultural experience. Many participating students commented was "an amazing cultural experience" and "an adventure they will remember for the rest of their lives."

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The SUppOItS from the College of Engineering and the Department of Mechanical EngineeringEngineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University, and the Kuckchek Program, Yeungnam University, are greatly appreciated.

REFERENCES

1. Chicago Tribune, Jan 15, 1989.

2. Graduating Engineer, "Coming! The golden Age of Engineering", p. 91, September, 1988.

3. University Programs, Ford, Dearborn, MI, Nov, 1996.

4. ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Conference, March 19-20, San Diego, CA, 1997.

5. Report on the Second Boeing-University Workshop, "An Industry Role in Enhancing Engineering Education," July 18, 1994.

6. Engineering Times, "Engineering Education for a Changing World," November, 1994.

7. R. Landis, Studying Engineering, Discovery Press: Burbank, 1995.

8. E. Lumsdaine and M. Lumsdaine, Creative Problem Solving, 2nd ed., McGraw Hill: N.Y ., 1993.

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