This summer a group of Rice University students experienced firsthand how travel can enhance education during a two-week trip to Paris as part of the international Summer Experience in Engineering Design program, or iSEED.
“Over a two-week period, students in the iSEED program are here in Paris to solve real-world challenges,” said Matthew Wettergreen, a Rice engineering faculty member who accompanied the students and taught the engineering design course module. “For these two weeks, we’re focused on a rapid iteration of solving problems by building prototypes, testing those prototypes and then circling back to redesign those prototypes.”
This year’s cohort of students worked on a project for a client in Paris who is a wheelchair user. Some of the client’s requests included a sunshade and a cup holder for hot liquids that is easily accessible and tailored to her range of motion.
“We’re here in Paris to show students a new perspective on problem-solving,” said Wettergreen, an associate teaching professor in the department of bioengineering and at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) and director of the global medical innovation program. “What I think is important about learning how to problem-solve is using different lenses to do so. For instance, when you train for a marathon, there are days where you run long distances, there are days where you run intervals, and there are days where you run short distances. Similarly in the learning process, variety is just as important as repetition.”
While prior engineering coursework is encouraged, it is not a requirement for iSEED participation. Sienna Tu, a cognitive sciences major at Rice, said the opportunity to both experience Paris and take an engineering class was “really amazing.”
“It’s very exciting, I’m very grateful for this opportunity to study abroad in Paris, and I think that I’ve learned a lot while being here,” said Taofeekat Lamina, who is majoring in computer science.
For the duration of the program, students reside and attend class sessions in the Rice Global Paris Center, which serves as a central hub for the Rice community in Paris. Housed within a picturesque historic building, the center boasts an interior garden and stunning architectural design. Its location in the historic Marais district provides an ideal starting point for exploring the city.
“I think this is probably the coolest building that I’ve ever been into at Rice,” said Maximillian Knyazev-Julinski, a Rice junior majoring in business.
“My favorite part is the garden outside, because it is so quiet you can’t even hear the city, and it’s just a beautiful arrangement of plants and flowers,” Lamina said.
Initially launched in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2019, iSEED offers students a summer study abroad opportunity to earn credits toward the engineering design minor as well as minors in global health technologies or entrepreneurship. Courses may also fulfill requirements for majors or electives, depending on the program.
“Often, students face constraints in their busy semester schedules, making it challenging to pursue additional courses for a minor,” said Amy Kavalewitz Dern, director of strategic initiatives and international programs at the OEDK, Rice’s premier undergraduate engineering makerspace. “This program gives them the opportunity to do so over the summer while also having a fulfilling international experience.
“The guiding principle of our study abroad program is to adapt domestic courses to integrate international cultures and communities. Our faculty utilize the city as an extended classroom, fostering interactions with local students, industries and clients to enrich the program further.”
In addition to its sessions in Paris, iSEED currently conducts summer study abroad programs in Mexico City and San Cristobal, Mexico; Bologna, Italy; and Amsterdam.
“Each program is unique, focusing on diverse areas, yet all courses provide a solid foundational education,” Kavalewitz said, adding that there are plans underway to expand the program to Tokyo in 2025 and possibly a location in Africa.
This year, the program was supported in part by a one-time contribution from the Moody Experience at Rice.
- Video is available at:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyxdVs6KZcU
(Video by Brandon Martin/Rice University)