Study Abroad Experiences in the Developing World: Opportunities and Challenges
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Study Abroad Experiences in the Developing World: Opportunities and Challenges Richard A. LeSar1 and Kenneth M. Bryden2 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A. 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, AMes, IA 50011, U.S.A. ABSTRACT Over the past three years the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University have conducted a study-abroad course for ISU undergraduates in a small, isolated, village in the country of Mali, in western, sub-Saharan Africa. Most, if not all, of the people in the village live under conditions that the World Bank refers to as extreme poverty. The focus of the course is on the development of sustainable technologies that are appropriate for the people in this village and villages similar to it. Our goal is to offer students a chance to develop such technologies, in the end changing how they view engineering and their role as engineers. One of the challenges of the course is how to integrate this high value off-campus experience into the on-campus curriculum. To do this we have linked two on-campus sustainable engineering courses (sustainable engineering systems and appropriate technology design) with this study abroad course. In this paper, we discuss the course in more detail, with a focus on an assessment of how well we are meeting our objectives. We shall also discuss the challenges of holding such a course and will offer some advice for those who may wish to venture along the same path. INTRODUCTION The world today has about 6900 million people, about half of whom live in poverty or extreme poverty by World Bank definitions.[1] By 2050, it is estimated that the world population will be between 9000 and 10000 million.[2] The potential burden on the planet from this increase in population will not, however, scale with the population increase, unless we assume that we continue to keep half the world in poverty. That the latter option is not considered viable (or moral) has been recognized by the world through the creation of the “Millennium Development Goals,” approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000.[3] These goals focus on what needs to be done now and in the near future to fulfill the basic needs for water, sanitation, nutrition, health, safety, and meaningful work for all humans. The technological challenges of meeting these needs will fall in large part on engineers. The increase in population over the upcoming decades will be largely in countries in the developing world. As their populations increase, and as those populations begin to share more of the world’s wealth, there will be unprecedented needs for better infrastructure (e.g., clean water, transportation, etc.), better health care, more and better food, and so on. These are challenges that engineers must meet. Iowa State University and it’s College of Engineering have recognized the critical importance of meeting the challenges facing the world between now and 2050 and have made it
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