Students in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences can now explore education abroad options at 39 top engineering schools in 23 countries. The University is now a member of the Institute for International Education’s Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E³) program, which makes it more seamless for engineering students to take a semester abroad while continuing with their program of study.
“Being a part of this unique consortia with such esteemed partner institutions throughout the world will benefit our students, and it will help us to identify those partners with which we might be able to do more programming, research, and exchange,” said Jane Gatewood, vice provost for global engagement. “Building these linkages allows us to develop targeted mobility opportunities for our students and helps to prepare and position them for global career paths.”
Among the benefits of Global E³, Hajim School students can join international engineering programs for a semester at partner schools and can apply their current financial aid packages to pay for them. Students will have the option to go abroad for the fall semester or spring semester to institutions such as Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Hong Kong Polytechnic University in China, University of Canterbury in New Zealand or many other options.
Traditionally, University engineering students have found it difficult to endeavor in semester-long international study and cultural experiences while staying on course with a demanding curriculum in Rochester. But in recent years, the Hajim School has worked to open up more opportunities for students studying bioengineering, mechanical engineering, optics and other disciplines to embark upon global destinations. The Global E³ program is another step in these efforts. Almost all engineering and computer science disciplines are available among the Global E³ international member institutions.
“In this day and age, engineering must be undertaken within a global context, so it is important that our students have the opportunity to experience engineering education and practice within a different culture and society,” said Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School. “Education abroad experiences provide the chance for our students to not only step out of their comfort zones and broaden their world view, but these experiences also position our students well for their future career paths.”
Global E³, which is administered by the Institute of International Education in New York City, has 33 member universities in the U.S.—now including the University of Rochester— and 39 participating engineering schools at universities in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East.
For more information, contact the Center for Education Abroad Office at (585) 275-7532.
