UConn Secures Funding For International Engineering STEM Partnership

STORRS, CT — The University of Connecticut School of Engineering and the Office of Global Affairs have secured federal funding for the development of international Engineering STEM partnerships and programming in experiential learning student mobility with UConn’s global partners in Australia and United Kingdom.

The funding was secured through the Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students, or IDEAS grant.

The IDEAS grant is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State, USA Study Abroad, and
World Learning. The IDEAS grant announcement recognizes 34 United States colleges and universities that will receive up to $35,000 to develop or expand institutional study abroad capacity.

Because of the grant, UConn faculty and staff will be better equipped to deliver effective and
inclusive study abroad programs, officials said .

UConn's project will launch at the beginning of August.

"This program allows for experiential learning opportunities for our undergraduate students to
be extended to support critical partnerships in engineering between the U.S. and Australia," said Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Richard Christenson. "We appreciate the investment the U.S. Department of State is making in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and we’re looking forward to further expanding student mobility within the School of Engineering to enhance our student’s global training."

UConn Engineering has strong international connections and values the diversity of varied
experiences and cultures gained through study abroad opportunities, officials said. Recent popular programs include a Master of Engineering in Data Sciences or Advanced Systems Engineering while studying in London, the French engineering program Technopole France, and the German undergraduate opportunity Eurotech.

"Global Affairs and our Experiential Global Learning team are excited to further enhance our
already strong partnership with the School of Engineering, and our exchange and research partners abroad," said Associate Vice President for Global Affairs Ngozi Taffe, who along with Christenson and School of Engineering Assistant Dean for Administrative Operations & Strategic Initiatives, serve as key personnel on the project. "This grant will help us to provide more opportunities for our students in engineering especially those from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds."

More information about the IDEAS grant is available online.

"Increasing and diversifying U.S. students going abroad for educational opportunities, as well as
diversifying the places where they study, is a State Department priority," said Lee Satterfield, assistant U.S. secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.