Education/training
Building bridges overseasAn international exchange during your undergrad helps you bring the world closer together... and build experience that can open doors to careers around the globe. By Jesse Bouvier |
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 [ 2008-10-03 ] |
When you backpack through Switzerland, do you return to Canada with photos of aerial tramways and high-speed chairlifts? Vacationing in Oregon with the family, are you the only one who brings home snapshots of Portland bridges? In short, are you an engineering student who enjoys travel as much as your discipline? If so, consider joining the many engineering students who take advantage of international study programs offered by their universities.
Paradoxically, international experience increases the depth and variety of your local perspectives. This double focus can prove a tremendous advantage on the international job market, which often demands specific know-how relevant to projects in other countries. Concordia civil engineering student Andrea Judge gained expertise on New England realities while at the University of Rhode Island during the Fall of 2007. “I got to learn about regional issues faced by local engineering firms through guest lecturers on topics such as the infamous Big Dig in Boston.”
This megaproject, which rerouted Boston’s downtown elevated highway into tunnels beneath the city, was plagued by leaks and a fatal collapse during construction. Judge’s experience proved valuable when she applied to companies that worked on these very projects. “In interviews with other New England companies, I had the opportunity to show that I knew about the region.”
Even if you do not end up working where you study, you can apply the local knowledge you gain abroad in other ways. In an interview setting, you may impress a potential employer by aptly comparing a local project to a dam in Mexico, or by contrasting Canadian engineering practices with those in Russia.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
Prepare to sacrifice a little time. Dr. Martin Pugh, Department Chair of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department at Concordia University, warns that students who participate in international study programs can expect to delay the completion of their degree. Sometimes, he says, the particular course credits one needs are not offered by a foreign institution and, if they are, they may not coincide with the timing of a student’s exchange.
According to Nicole Lapierre, an administrative assistant in the Office of International Relations and Student Recruitment at the Université du Québec’s École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), you are more likely to find international courses that fit your program if you study abroad near the mid-point of your degree. Students cannot leave too early because they must complete a minimum number of credits before departing and some core courses may not be completed abroad. At the same time, students should not wait too long to leave, because it is easier to find equivalent international courses if they have more than a handful of courses left in their degree.
Even if your travel date is far away, Lapierre recommends contacting an adviser or program coordinator early in your program. These experts will have all the information you need to get the ball rolling and deal with obstacles well in advance. Lapierre adds that each university has its own selection process, based on a combination of factors such as your GPA, a portfolio submission, a letter of intent or a face-to-face interview. You should consult your school’s exchange office or your program coordinator for details. Lapierre also warns of intense competition: “Since a limited amount of funding is available for foreign exchanges, not all students will be accepted.” If you make it through this first step, however, you can receive a bursary to help pay for your studies abroad.
Lapierre and Pugh agree that once you’ve taken care of these logistics, studying overseas is invariably worth the extra time and effort. Pugh says, “Every returning student with whom I have spoken has been enriched by the experience.”
This sentiment rings true for Yacine Jeffrey-Ould Babaali, a Concordia industrial engineering student who twice spent a semester at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, a Mexican technological institute. He says the overseas experience “goes beyond academic learning” and describes the knowledge he returned with as “priceless.” While it may be a challenge to adapt to a whole new environment, he says the energy you invest can lead to growth and maturation.
Students may worry about culture shock, but Ali believes a tough adjustment period can have its bright side. When he first arrived in Mexico, “the most frustrating thing was depending on the people who were hosting me.” As he learned the language and got to know his new home, however, he began enjoying his well-earned independence.
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