ACall for the expansion of intercultural competency to graduate engineering education

The purpose of this theory research brief is to call for an expansion of the current research and practices regarding intercultural competency in engineering education. Intercultural competency, here meaning competencies of working and communicating across national and international context, is a necessary skill for engineers in our increasingly global and diverse society. Most often, intercultural competencies are introduced to engineering students through study abroad programs, virtual global exchange partnerships, and global engineering projects. While these programs are impactful, they are time-intensive, cost-intensive, and localized, limiting the breadth of students who need these skills to a select few. Additionally, these programs and accompanying research mainly focus on the undergraduate experience and are formed from a U.S. perspective. Domestic undergraduate students are not the only population that needs these skills. Over half of graduate students in the United States are international, creating a unique environment where the development of intercultural competency is necessary for daily interactions and future endeavors. However, few scholars have investigated intercultural competency development among engineering graduate students. In this research brief, we explore the current state of intercultural competency research and practice in engineering education, critique U.S.-centric approaches to intercultural competency and urge the research community to bring a focus on intercultural competency development to graduate student populations.