Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
6-2020
Abstract
Expanding Engineering and Technology Opportunities to Students in the Border Region through International Collaboration
For some years now, our Department of Engineering Technology of the XXXX, has collaborated with Universities across the southern border to carry out different activities such as undergraduate research, collaborative course-based projects, and senior design projects. We have observed how students benefit from being exposed to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
We now expand this form of work to a higher-level research collaboration where students and faculty from four different institutions participate. Two institutions of higher education in Mexico and a University and a Community College in the United States. The collaboration carries out an innovative project that requires the integration of different specialties. The project consists of an intelligent clothing storage and retrieval system that involves artificial intelligence, and design of a sophisticated electromechanical system that optimizes storage and retrieval and adapts to the needs of people with visual disabilities. The collaborative effort includes the active participation of the faculty, supported by a team of undergraduate students. An important part of the project includes a master's student from Mexico visiting the XXXX for three months to collaborate in the project.
Fortunately, The University of XXX System and CONACYT, Mexico’s entity in charge of promoting scientific and technological development, have established an initiative to support bi-national academic research and collaboration through the ConTex program. This is an opportunity to apply for the funding needed to take the project to successful completion.
This type of work represents a challenge in international collaboration and the text discusses not only the benefits but also the way to face these challenges. The pedagogical issues in managing this type of multidisciplinary and multicultural research-oriented technological project are presented in the paper. A thorough literature survey on international collaborative projects of a similar nature will be included in the paper.
Recommended Citation
Gonzalez-Rodriguez, J. A., & Edinbarough, I., & Rios Santiago, A., & Pineda-Briseño, A. (2020, June), Expanding Engineering and Technology Opportunities to Students in the Border Region Through International Collaboration Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34625
Publication Title
2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Experience
DOI
10.18260/1-2--34625
Comments
© 2020 American Society for Engineering Education. Original published version available at https://peer.asee.org/34625