IAESTE Annual Review 2020/21

International Exchange: Learning Beyond the Textbook
Dr Cai worked in business before joining academia, which makes him
a great mentor for IAESTE interns. He believes that engineers should be
presented with real-life challenges from the beginning of their careers.
He wants to create a nurturing environment where they have the
independence to find their own solutions, but also the confidence to reach
out if they need help: “We encourage engineers to find simple solutions
that work in the real world. Although I give them instructions to guide and
get them started, I also encourage them to use their own knowledge and
experiment, because in the real world there is no textbook that tells you
what to do and engineers have to work on a lot of problem-solving”.
Dr Cai believes that IAESTE interns are well equipped to work in such an
environment and to confront the challenging times we are faced with: “The
interns are very professional and well acquainted with our standards and
work. They learn quickly and deliver well.”
Florian, who hails from northern Italy, compared the adjustment period to
that of any new role and job. “It was a change of scenery and culture, but
work-wise, I just felt like being in a new workplace. I have worked in Europe
before and my experience there helped me adjust to the workplace here.”
A Year of Learning and New Experiences
The exchange year marks a year of learning, discovery and new
experiences. Florian pointed out that labs in the United States have a
range of externally sponsored projects, which provide opportunities
to experiment, practice, and learn. Sean, who has a background in
electrical engineering, understands the immense learning opportunities:
“The experience of interacting with real-life firefighters and working
independently on solutions has been incredibly rewarding for me.”
But the year has been more than professional growth and learning; it
has given Sean and Florian an opportunity to witness American culture,
to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, and enjoy distinctly
American adventures and sports.
Although still in the United States working with Dr Cai, they look forward
to going back home to share their diverse experience with another part
of the world.
Sean and Florian explore the Grand Canyon
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