Enhancing Graduate Engineering Education through International Research Experiences: A Mixed-Methods Competency Development Analysis

This study explored the impact of an international research intervention on graduate engineering students. By immersing students in abroad cultures and diverse academic, research, and practice environments, this study investigated how such interventional experiences can bridge the gap between academic advancement and career expectations and foster comprehensive skills beyond technical expertise. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews was leveraged to assess students’ competencies before and after their international research experience. The quantitative findings highlight improvements in students’ academic, personal, professional, intellectual, and intercultural competencies, with notable gains in the subsets of skills within each competency, such as networking and collaboration, self-confidence, oral communication, or research abilities. The qualitative findings also revealed that participants experienced advancements in analytical and creative problem-solving skills, as well as increased maturity and independence. The results underscore the necessity for a well-designed intervention and measurement approach, addressing the limitations of existing studies that primarily rely on student perceptions with a limited scope, rather than triangulating data across a comprehensive set of measures. The study also emphasizes the importance of international research exposure in equipping graduate engineering students with the multifaceted skills that better position them to navigate the complexities of the global academic and industry landscapes.