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Gurdip Singh, divisional dean of the George Mason University College of Engineering and Computing’s (CEC) School of Computing, and Christopher Carr, associate dean and deputy Title IX coordinator in the CEC Office of Outreach, Student Success, and Engagement (OSSE), moderated sessions at the at the World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) in Sydney, Australia, in early December. By actively engaging in prestigious global forums such as WEEF, CEC showcases forward-thinking initiatives and a dedication to addressing critical challenges in the field with novel approaches.
Singh moderated a session titled, “International Partnerships: Giving Effect to the International Nature of Engineering,” illustrating the strategic value of cross-border collaborations and how international partnerships enrich engineering education, research, and practice. Carr moderated, “Exploring Counternarratives: Using Intercultural Agility to Challenge Eurocentric Perceptions in Engineering Education,” centered on the power of intercultural agility as a tool to shift Eurocentric narratives that often dominate engineering education.
WEEF is organized by the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), where Ariela Sofer, divisional dean for the Volgenau School of Engineering and a professor in the Systems Engineering and Operations Research department, is on the Executive Committee. IFEES and the office of its secretary general, Hans Hoyer, are housed in CEC. Ken Ball, CEC dean, serves on the executive committee of the Global Engineering Deans Council, which met in parallel with WEEF.
Kevin Kuck, a CEC alum, attended as leader with the organization Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED), which allows students to remain active for up to five years after graduation. Kuck’s journey into this role began in Carr’s “A Seat at the Table” course, emphasizing the role of DEI in engineering and technology.
“The world is global. Engineering is global. Computing is global. Education has to be seen in the same way. Our ability to help our students think, engage, and thrive in a global world is crucial to their success,” said Carr. “WEEF and international and intercultural connections are essential in building capacity to remain a top institution for workforce development, benefitting the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. Our competitiveness is conditional on our ability to be on the world stage as leaders and that stage is only accessible to those who are prepared to navigate the cultural complexities that make up human identity and apply it to our engineering and technological contexts.”