Australia: International Business Cultures in Engineering and Technology

Dates for WT2010: December 27 - January 16, 2010

ENES 472

Preparing to practice engineering in a global economy has become increasingly important for new engineers and other related majors to advance in their careers. In addition to a strong engineering background, there is a greater need for engineers with cross-cultural experience and foreign language abilities. Understanding the impact of technology solutions in a global context is crucial for students who are planning a career in engineering or other technology related fields. The ENES472 course will facilitate the acquisition of these global capabilities in the area of technology and engineering. Students who are pursuing a Minor in International Engineering will be able to apply ENES472 to their minor. The requirements for the Minor in International Engineering include language, culture studies, or internationally related studies plus an engineering study, research, or work experience abroad.

The three-week program, which is open to all majors, is designed to provide you with an understanding of cultural aspects pertaining to global engineering and technology and thereby increasing their awareness of the cultural factors that motivate technology solutions and decision-making processes in the global workplace. You will gain an understanding of how the business cultures around the world differ from the United States. In addition, you will develop the cultural understanding, attitudes, and communication skills needed to function appropriately within an increasingly global and multi-cultural environment. During the time in Australia, you will have an opportunity to gain first-hand experience with the concepts discussed in class.

Students will stay in furnished apartments in downtown Sydney.

Faculty & Staff

Michel Cukier, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Michel Cukier is an Associate Professor at the Center for Risk and Reliability in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland. He earned his doctorate from LAAS-CNRS, Toulouse, France in 1996 on coverage estimation of fault-tolerant systems. From 1996 to 2001, he was a member of the Perform research group in the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, working on adaptive fault tolerance and intrusion tolerance. His current research interests include security quantification, intrusion tolerance, distributed system validation and fault injection. He is member of the IEEE.

For program and course information, please contact Caine Francis in Engineering International Programs at 301.405.5342.

For questions about the application, registration and pre-departure logistics, please contact the Study Abroad Office at 301.314.7473.