Intercultural Competence in Engineering Education

Developing interpersonal skills during the engineering studies enhances the success in labs or project work. Hence, the syllabus of CDIO (3:1 and 3:2) stipulates the need to focus on team building and communication skills within it. The internationalization of engineering education adds an intercultural dimension to the skills needed, prompting Prof. Duncan Campbell (2009) to propose the adoption of the new CDIO standard – CDIO Program Internationalization and Mobility.

The collaborating companies of JTH in the region have clearly called for graduates with intercultural competence, in order to find workers better equipped for their growing global markets. Their rationale is that interpersonal and team working skills within one homogeneous culture does not directly translate into an international setting. New intercultural skills are needed.