School of Engineering Embarks on First Hong Kong Student Exchange

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cuaengineer Exploring Global Educational Opportunities Continuing to expand international programs <strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Engineering</strong>, Dean Nguyen and his directors <strong>of</strong> international programs visited eight universities in Europe and Asia during the 2007– 2008 academic year. In August 2007, the dean and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Frank Pao met with the dean and key <strong>of</strong>ficials and visited the laboratory facilities <strong>of</strong> the engineering school <strong>of</strong> The Catholic University <strong>of</strong> Leuven, Belgium. The next month, during a trip to Portugal to accept a leadership award from the International Network <strong>of</strong> <strong>Engineering</strong> Education and Research in Coimbra, the dean, along with a CUA delegation, met the vice-rector and dean <strong>of</strong> engineering <strong>of</strong> The Catholic University <strong>of</strong> Lisbon and visited their facilities. The two schools signed a memorandum <strong>of</strong> understanding to explore collaboration in research and education. In February 2008, Dean Nguyen, Pao, and Uyen Nguyen, Ph.D., who was recently appointed International Director <strong>of</strong> Programs in Asia, visited Kasetart University in Bangkok, Thailand, and signed an MOU with the faculty <strong>of</strong> engineering <strong>of</strong> this university to develop mutual education and research programs. While in Thailand, the CUA delegation also visited Burapha University in Chonburi, meeting with the dean and faculty <strong>of</strong> the college <strong>of</strong> engineering <strong>of</strong> this university. An MOU was also signed between the two engineering schools with goals similar to the one signed with KU. After the Thailand trip, Dean Nguyen, Director Nguyen and Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Binh Tran, Ph.D., chair <strong>of</strong> the CUA biomedical engineering department, visited the International University <strong>of</strong> the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, where an agreement was signed by the two institutions to re-energize the existing 2+2 program. Dean Nguyen gave a presentation to the faculty and students about CUA and the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Engineering</strong> and explained the application process <strong>of</strong> the 2+2 program. The CUA delegation then visited the Saigon Technology University, signing an MOU with this university. At STU, Dean Nguyen received an honorary pr<strong>of</strong>essorship. Dean Nguyen and Director Nguyen then traveled to Danang, Vietnam, visiting with <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> Duy Tan University and University <strong>of</strong> Danang, with the probability <strong>of</strong> an MOU to be signed with these universities in the near future. 12 | cuaengineer Dean Nguyen received the leadership award at the INEER banquet in Coimbra, Portugal. Faculty and administrators <strong>of</strong> CUA and Kasetart University at the MOU signing ceremony. The signing ceremony <strong>of</strong> the MOU between CUA and the Saigon Technology University.
cuaengineer <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Engineering</strong> <strong>Embarks</strong> on First Hong Kong Exchange Civil engineering student Thomas Lee has wanted to travel to Asia since he first met a group <strong>of</strong> Japanese children when he was in the fourth grade. Lee got his wish in January, when he flew to Hong Kong as one <strong>of</strong> five CUA students participating in the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Engineering</strong>’s pioneer study-abroad student exchange. Lee, along with fellow juniors Kristen Kennedy, Sarah Luffy, Kathryn Kazior and Emily Growney, studied last spring at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in the first <strong>of</strong> several student-exchange programs that will link CUA’s engineering school and foreign universities. Besides realizing a childhood dream, Lee sees this as an opportunity to gain experience in the international engineering world that might set him apart from other young engineers. In fact, China is producing more engineers than the United States and, increasingly, U.S. engineering firms are outsourcing their work and <strong>of</strong>fices to China, says engineering Dean Charles Nguyen, making China a hotbed <strong>of</strong> engineering activity. China’s ongoing industrial and economic boom also provides plenty <strong>of</strong> work for engineers. As part <strong>of</strong> the exchange, nine students from Hong Kong Polytechnic took courses at CUA for the spring semester. The CUA students arrived in Hong Kong on Jan. 9. Students studying at CUA from Hong Kong Polytechnic arrived on campus in mid-January. The exchange with Hong Kong Polytechnic has been several years in the making, part <strong>of</strong> what Nguyen sees as a necessary <strong>of</strong>fering for top American engineering schools. Other exchange programs are planned with universities in Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and China. As with Hong Kong Polytechnic, CUA students in these future programs will attend an overseas university for a semester while paying tuition at CUA and earning credit toward their CUA degrees. This year’s crop <strong>of</strong> CUA students are biomedical and civil engineering majors, and their courses while in Hong Kong focused on the core curricula <strong>of</strong> those subjects, taught in English. While students took the same core curricula <strong>of</strong>fered at CUA, the benefit <strong>of</strong> taking those courses in China is an opportunity to see, firsthand, how a country with such an emerging, global engineering presence frames those subjects. In preparation for their travels, the five CUA students spent the fall 2007 semester preparing to better integrate into Chinese culture by taking Chinese 101, an introductory course on Chinese language and culture organized by the engineering school in collaboration with the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> Arts and Sciences. The students stayed in Hong Kong until May, when the semester ended, with an option to extend the stay. Many <strong>of</strong> the students traveled in mainland China during their exchange. Dean Nguyen visited them in February to observe the program and see how they were acclimating. Nguyen says he believes these partnerships are a two-way street, allowing for the best and brightest foreign engineers to attend CUA for a semester — and perhaps return here for graduate school. “This study abroad program was established to make our future graduates fully immersed in what is, increasingly, a global engineering market,” says Dean Nguyen. (From left) Emily Growney, Thomas Lee Jr., Kathryn Kazior, Kristen Kennedy, Sarah Luffy Hong Kong students in Pangborn Hall. fall2008 | 13
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School of Engineering Embarks on First Hong Kong Student Exchange

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