International sabbaticals: Experiences and opportunities

Engineering Education has been embracing globalization and its impact on careers over the last ten years. Many universities have developed programs to encourage students to participate in longer term international exchanges. There has been less emphasis to encourage faculty to consider longer term international visits. This paper provides an overview of activities of an international sabbatical in the UK, supported through a Visiting Researcher (VR) from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The paper also discusses benefits of an international sabbatical and outlines programs available to help facilitate and fund international experiences for faculty.