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Rowan University and La Universidad de La Serena: An International Collaboration for Teaching and Research Z. Otero Gephardt*, José O. Valderrama and Carolina Ponce

Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ / Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, La Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile * to whom correspondence should be addressed

abstract

Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ and La Universidad de La Serena in La Serena, Chile have recently entered into a general agreement that will allow for a wide range of options for students and faculty in both universities. Both universities are of similar size and serve similar types of students. The general agreement includes student and faculty exchanges, research opportunities and collaborations in the development and exchange of teaching methods. It is a great benefit to students and faculty in both universities. The agreement can serve as a template for international collaborations between institutions in the United States and Latin America.

A research project involving supercritical fluid extraction of a salmon food additive from micro algae is currently underway. The additive, astaxanthin, is a natural pigment and antioxidant. Chile is the second largest exporter of salmon in the world, second only to Norway. A junior/senior level engineering clinic has been jointly developed for the Control and Dynamics course in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Universidad de La Serena. Engineering clinics were first developed at Rowan University. Students take an engineering clinic course every semester and work on projects in their junior and senior years. Some of these projects can relate directly to courses or be industrial projects funded by regional and national companies. International collaborations offer students an excellent opportunity to experience the global interactions and technology exchanges. This is becoming more important as engineers are more involved in the dynamics of the global economy.

introduction and background

Rowan University, as all institutions of higher education in the United States, strives to provide a well rounded engineering education. A well rounded education that includes a strong liberal arts component and communication results in more creative engineers with solid ethics and a true understanding of how their work impacts the community. The community that engineers serve has become broader and more diverse with time. There is very little engineering work today that does not have a global impact. This has resulted in a stronger need to include a global component in engineering education. In recognition of this increasing need, Rowan University has recently established an International Center with the understanding that we all gain when we learn from each other and not simply export technology to less developed countries. The International Center promotes the study abroad concept but it also includes faculty and student exchanges, research and teaching. These activities are implemented at the Rowan Campus or at

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Valderrama, J. O., & Ponce, C., & Gephardt, Z. O. (2005, June), Rowan University And La Universidad De La Serena: An International Collaboration For Teaching And Research Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15597