A World of Opportunity: Preparing Students for Life!

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A World of Opportunity Preparing Students for
Life!

• Natalie A. Mello
• Director of Global Operations,
• Interdisciplinary and
• Global Studies
• Division

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WPI sends more engineering students abroad than
any university in the US.
Students faculty live on site for 2 months
while solving open ended problems that benefit
the local community.
Bangkok, ThailandBudapest, HungaryCape Town,
South AfricaCopenhagen, DenmarkHong Kong, PRC
Ifrane, MoroccoKyoto, Japan Limerick,
Ireland London, United Kingdom Melbourne,
Australia
Nancy, FranceSan José, Costa RicaSan Juan,
Puerto RicoVenice, Italy Windhoek,
NamibiaWuhan, PRC
Opportunities to fulfill degree required projects
throughout the world.
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Growth of the Global Perspective Program
WPI has sent over 6000 students off-campus since
1974
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Percentage of graduates with an off-campus
experience
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So how does WPI manage to do this?

• WPI offers opportunities to fulfill degree
  requirements elsewhere in the world
• Unique curriculum and term system
• Established Competitive Recruiting Cycles
• Established Risk Management
• Commitment to Student Centered Experience

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At WPI, there are 3 degree required projects

• The project in Humanities ? and Arts

• Suff - Completed in the 1st 2 years

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At WPI, there are 3 degree required projects

• The project in Humanities ? and Arts
• The Interdisciplinary Project ? (not related to
  the major)

• Suff - Completed in the 1st 2 years
• IQP - Completed in the 3rd year

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At WPI, there are 3 degree required projects

• The project in Humanities ? and Arts
• The Interdisciplinary Project ? (not related to
  the major)
• The Discipline Specific, ? Technical
  Project (definitely related to the Major)

• Suff - Completed in the 1st 2 years
• IQP - Completed in the 3rd year
• MQP - Completed in the 4th year

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Where do these opportunities exist?
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Projects in the Humanities Arts

• LONDON, United Kingdom
• History, Drama, Music or Literature
• MADRID, Spain
• Spanish Language, Culture or Literature
• DARMSTADT, Germany
• German Language, Culture or Literature
• IFRANE, Morocco New site!
• Islamic History Culture Studies

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Interdisciplinary Projects
Venice, Italy Worcester, Mass. Washington,
DC Windhoek, Namibia

• Bangkok, Thailand
• Boston, Mass.
• Cape Town, SA
• Copenhagen, Denmark

• Hong Kong, PRC
• London, UK
• Melbourne, Australia
• San José, Costa Rica
• San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Technical Projects

• Nancy, France (cm,cbc,che)
• Silicon Valley, CA (cs,ece)
• Venice, Italy (cs)
• Wall Street, London (cs,ma,mg,ie,mge)
• Wuhan, PRC (me,mfe)

• Budapest, Hungary (cs)
• Gallo Wineries, CA (cme,me)
• Kyoto, Japan (cs,imgd)
• Limerick, Ireland (ece)
• MIT Lincoln Labs (ece,cs,ma,me,ph)

(major dependent)
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Do projects happen elsewhere?
Individually Sponsored Residential ProjectsWork
with a faculty advisor to complete the process

• Wuhan, China ? PC E07
• NSF Station, Antarctica
• Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Turks Caicos
• Gothenberg, Sweden
• Tortolla, BVI
• Modesto, CA ? PC C06

• Sydney, Australia
• Rome, Italy
• St. Croix, USVI
• Greenwich, UK
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Kyoto, Japan ? PC A08
• Nancy, France ? PC C05

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How do these projects fit into such a tight
schedule?
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Typical WPI Students Academic Year
1 semester 2 terms 1 term 7 weeks
6 courses / semester 3 courses / term
A Term
C Term
B Term
D Term
Project in Bangkok
Intro Art History
Intro Statics
Anatomy
Differ. Equations
Principles of EE
Calc IV
Gen. Physics
Fluid Mechanics
Soc.Sci. Methods
Proposal
Project 3 courses
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General Applications Due
Site Specific Info Sessions
Global Fair September
Sufficiency Applications Due
IQP Sufficiency Site Specific Applications Due
Sign up for interviews via the web
Interview with Faculty Center Directors
Deposits Due February
Decision Letters Mailed Home January
Recruiting typically occurs a year in advance
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Can WPI offer a secure yet academically valuable
experience?
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Risk Management Team
Center Director
Project Preparation Instructor
Resident Faculty Advisors
Student Experience
Support Services
Orientation and Re-Entry Facilitator
Local Coordinator
Sponsor Liaison
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Why does WPI do all this?
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Educational Outcomes Realized by a Global
Experience

• Solving real-world, open-ended problems
• Working in teams
• Improving written verbal communication
• Making connections between
• Classroom and experiential learning
• Impact of decisions of the profession on culture
  and community
• Impact of culture and community on decisions of
  the profession
• Professional and personal growth

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Who in the world notices?
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Turning the Tide by J.Harriss Venice has
defied the onslaught of the sea for centuries.
But as water levels rise and foundations erode,
Venetians must seek out new ways to save the
city's fabled artworks and architectural
treasures
There's also a plan to reduce the effects of
moto ondoso, thanks in part to studies by the
Massachusetts-based Worcester Polytechnic
Institute's Venice Project Center
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WPIAll Around the World, Preparing Students for
Life!
Kate Soojian, Class of 2008 Biomedical
Engineering Major Costa Rica, E06, IQP sponsored
by Intel