International Research Experiences and Global Competency Development for Graduate Students in Engineering and Science

Challenges from globalization, population growth, and climate change require science, technology, and engineering (STEM) professionals to have global competency. However, the impact of international experiences on STEM students’ development of these abilities has not been well studied. We assessed the effects of international research experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Europe on the development of global competency for STEM graduate students from the United States. Research placements in LAC were generally field-based, involving interactions with community members, while placements in Europe were mostly lab-based. Surveys and interviews with participants before and after their trips revealed increases in intercultural abilities for students from all groups. Students who traveled to LAC had higher intercultural abilities before the trip but experienced smaller gains than their counterparts who traveled to Europe. Despite the value in community-based activities for students outside of university settings, more effort is needed to eliminate students’ barriers to understanding communication styles in their host communities.