Three former students and one current student of the Texas A&M University College of Engineering are building partnerships worldwide to benefit the college.
Former students Andrew West (petroleum engineering), Brian Socha (industrial and systems engineering) and Drew Blanchard (biological and agricultural engineering), and senior Josh Burress (biomedical engineering), traveled to Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC) in Santiago, Chile, for a week of discussion and collaboration with their peers and administrators of the university.
The college of engineering and UC are encouraging their students to work together and exchange ideas to better each university and learn more about their programs.
“There is a lot to learn from other universities and how they work with their students” West said. “We learned an incredible amount and saw so many similarities with how both universities encourage entrepreneurship and innovation to their students.”
The students spent their time in Santiago touring the campus, interacting with local students and meeting with administrators from the university. The goal of their visit was to learn how another engineering school functions and to share what makes the Texas A&M engineering program competitive.
The students spoke about 25 by 25, the Student Engineers’ Council (SEC), the Engineering Innovation Center (EIC), Aggies Invent and the culture of innovation throughout the campus. While the PUC students talked about their Makers Club, a rapid prototyping lab, the Bridge, a work abroad trip to Silicon Valley, and the Clover 2030 initiative to make their engineering program competitive on the global market.
One of the biggest takeaways West had was the level of innovation throughout the UC curriculum and students applying their engineering skills to help the community with local projects. He was impressed by how students of all levels were engaging in projects and wants more Texas A&M students to feel comfortable engaging in extracurricular activities throughout their schooling.
West said one of the most valuable parts of the trip was the cultural exchange. The four students did a homestay with two of the local students and got to experience what it would be like to be an engineering student there. They were immersed in their culture for the five-day trip.
Living with local students and experiencing their day-to-day engineering life helped break down their preconceived perceptions of other cultures. West said the experience helped them understand and respect another culture and provided global mindset that will be especially useful as they enter the workforce.
“I see how important study abroad is now,” said West. “It makes the world seem a lot smaller now that I have friends at a university in another country.”
(Photo credit: Andrew West and The Clover 2030, UC)