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Created by CILMAR Staff, Purdue University.
Intercultural Knowledge and Effectiveness Rubric is adapted from the Association of American Colleges & Universities Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric.
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lqiao
8:17 pm 12 December 2023
I utilized the "Analyzing Your Field in a New Country" exercise as a focal point for an in-class discussion within my course, AAE 451 Aircraft Design, co-listed with AAE 535 Propulsion Design Built and Test. The class comprises 10 students, evenly split between undergraduate and graduate students. The rationale behind selecting this exercise stemmed from the fact that more than half of the students possessed internship or research experience in European countries, specifically in Germany Additionally, they all had undergone multiple internships in the United States. The discussion primarily centered around a comparative analysis of the aerospace industry and research organizations in the US and Europe. Notably, the students looked into the working culture disparities between the US and Germany. In the US, especially within traditional aerospace companies like Boeing, managers wield significant influence, often dominating discussions and making decisions based on personal preferences. In contrast, the discussion highlighted a more egalitarian approach in Germany, where both engineers and managers share equal power in decision-making, with engineers having a greater say in technical decisions. Additionally, I contributed by sharing my experiences as a visiting scientist at an institution in Japan, emphasizing the notable cultural differences compared to both the US and Germany. The conversation provided valuable insights into diverse working cultures within the aerospace industry. The discussion expanded to the "China vs Sweden case" covered in the IPG course. The students specifically examined power index of these countries, shedding light on and explaining the observed differences. Overall, the discussion was engaging and fun.