The University of Rochester and the University of Miami have joined forces to give engineering students more international experience as part of their education. The program, called "Engineering for the Americas," brings together 40 students from universities in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Mexico, and the United States to better understand the challenges that await them in the increasingly global field of engineering.
For a week in January and in June, 10 students from the University meet and talk with leaders from industry, academia, and government in order to build lasting professional relationships.
The January meeting has just concluded at the University of Miami, and the June meeting will be at the University of Rochester. Topics for discussion include leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology policy and politics. Students will talk with prominent researchers from each university and visit world-renowned laboratories.
"I not only learned about additional job applications, but I also was able to hear prominent speakers address the topics of leadership, patent law, and entrepreneurship, says Trevor DiMarco, a junior in the mechanical engineering program who just returned from the Miami meeting. "Most importantly, I experienced one of the greatest cultural exchanges I have ever had. My experiences with the Latin Americans were amazing, and it was fascinating to hear about their countries and the role of engineering in them."
"Engineering students tend not to participate in study-abroad programs due to their rigorous course schedules," says Kevin Parker, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "It's a bit paradoxical because engineering is becoming such a global enterprise, linking collaborators, design groups, supply chains, and customer sites all around the world. We're very pleased to bring this opportunity to enhance our students' education."
"The main goal of this program is to create a cohort of highly-talented engineering students across the Americas," says M. Lewis Temares, dean of the College of Engineering and vice president for information technology at the University of Miami. "These students will build lasting professional relationships that will benefit them, their institutions, their countries, and enhance the progress of the engineering