CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: A BINATIONAL CASE STUDY ON INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE AND SUSTAINABLE POLYMER PROCESSING
Stehle, Daniel
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Germany
Page(s):
19 - 24
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
This study presents educational outcomes from a collaboration between the Cooperative State University Baden-Wuerttemberg and the Universidad Politécnica de Querétaro, focusing on intercultural competence, sustainability, and digital teamwork in engineering education. The team comprised three Mexican and three German students, each guided by one professor from their respective institutions. The project investigated optimizing recycled polypropylene’s mechanical properties by adjusting processing parameters. It included two intensive residential phases in Germany and Mexico, with a subsequent digital collaboration phase using MS Teams and WhatsApp. This hybrid model simulated real-world distributed engineering work, emphasizing autonomous management and cross-cultural communication. Problem- and project-based learning principles framed the educational design. A 2025 post-project survey (n=6) revealed notable gains in intercultural communication (+36%), scientific communication confidence (+28%), and sustainability understanding (+33%). Students emphasized improved teamwork adaptability and conflict resolution, citing joint faculty mentorship as vital across academic cultures. The technical results were published and presented in a peer-reviewed paper and oral presentation at IEEE TEMSCON Global 2025 in San Diego, validating the research’s academic rigor and relevance. This case highlights how binational projects transform diversity from a concept into lived experiences that enhance empathy, inclusion, and innovation in engineering education. It offers a transferable model for integrating sustainability-driven research with intercultural frameworks, aligning with the E&PDE 2026 theme of exploring diversity in engineering education.
Keywords:
