UMD-Winter: Australia: Global Leadership & International Business in Engineering and Technology (ENES/HONR)

Preparing to practice engineering in a global economy has become increasingly important for new engineers and other related majors to advance in their careers. In addition to a strong engineering background, there is a greater need for engineers with cross-cultural experience and global leadership skills. Understanding the impact of technology solutions in a global context is crucial for students who are planning a career in engineering or other technology related fields. This course, which is open to all majors, will facilitate the acquisition of these global capabilities in the area of technology and engineering.

The duration of the three-week course will be spent in Sydney. The goal of this program is to provide you with an understanding of cultural aspects pertaining to global business and global leadership skills, thereby increasing your awareness of the cultural factors that motivate decisions and behavior in the business world. You will gain an understanding of how the business cultures in the rest of the world diverge from the American, and develop the cultural understanding, global leadership, attitudes, and communication skills needed to function appropriately within an increasingly global and multicultural working environment.

You must be in good academic and judicial standing and you must not have any registration blocks to participate in this program. The minimum GPA for this program is listed above.

Engineering students and students completing the Minors in International Engineering, Engineering Leadership Development, International Development and Conflict Management, Global Terrorism, and Global Poverty will receive priority consideration for admission to the course. Other majors are highly encouraged to apply as the course is open to all students of all majors.

After you commit to the program, Education Abroad will enroll you in one of the following three (3) credit UMD courses:

• ENES472: International Business Cultures in Engineering & Technology
• HONR349T: Honors Colloquium: International Business Cultures in Engineering and Technology
• ENES317: Introduction to Engineering Leadership

The credit you earn during this program will count as resident credit.

Both ENES472 and HONR349T have been approved for the Diversity-Cultural Competence requirement of the General Education program.
ENES317 has been approved for the Scholarship in Practice requirement of the General Education program. 

This program fulfills a requirement for the Minors in International Engineering and Minor in Engineering Leadership Development and ENES472 is an option for students in the Global Minors Program. The following departments have approved ENES472 and ENES316 to fulfill the following major degree requirements: 

• Computer Engineering- Category F Elective
• Electrical Engineering- GTE: General Technical Elective
• Fire Protection Engineering: Technical Elective
• Mechanical Engineering- TECH4XX out-of-major technical elective

You will stay in apartment-style housing with shared rooms. Internet and laundry facilities are available.

Costs are current for winter 2018.

NOTE: If you are a non-UMD graduate student, you will need to pay a $75 application fee to the UMD graduate school to participate in this program.

Please refer to the following resources for more information on funding study abroad

• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• Withdrawal and Refund Policy

PLEASE NOTE: All University of Maryland study abroad programs are financially self-supporting and, therefore, subject to cancelation due to low enrollment.

Ramsey Jabaji is the faculty director for the program and serves as the assistant director of International & Leadership Programs and Instructor for the Minor Engineering Leadership Development in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. He has been at UMD for more than a decade having taught over 20 courses including directing short-term programs in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, China, Spain, France, and Australia.  His research interests focus on advancing college student leadership development and he has been involved in a number of campus and national research projects related to leadership. Ramsey has traveled to over 35 countries and these experiences have influenced his approaches to teaching.

Brian Dillehay joins the University of Maryland from AMIDEAST where he administered Fulbright students from the Middle East and North Africa during their time in the United States. In addition to his work at Maryland, he is an adjunct instructor at American University teaching a graduate level course on training program design. Brian has experience living, working, and studying in both Taiwan and Senegal. In Taiwan, he managed a team of teachers at an international language school, developed curriculum, and facilitated various arrival and re-entry training sessions. He received his MA in International Training and Education from American University in 2016 and his BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2006.

For course, itinerary or in-country information, please contact the Program Director. For general questions or assistance with applying, contact EA Short-term Programs

As a part of this program, you will engage in the following activities:

• Attend several industry visits (past sites have included Google, BlueScope Steel, Qantas Operations Center, and Holmes Fire)
• A detailed half-day architectural walking tour by a leading local architect in Sydney culminating with an exterior tour of the Sydney Opera House
• Cultural activities such as a Bush Walk with an indigenous guide, visit to a wildlife park, cricket match, and a tour of the The Rocks area
• Visits to several local museums including the Powerhouse Museum and Australian Museum
• Guest speakers on entrepreneurship and Australian business culture
• Social activities such as the Sydney Festival and Sydney New Years Eve fireworks festivities
• A welcome dinner and farewell dinner cruise on the Sydney harbour.