UC students visit Ghana and learn how engineering crosses cultures
In partnership with UC international, 13 students traveled to Ghana over spring break
Each year, the University of Cincinnati sends more than 1,000 students to countries around the world. Over spring break, UC international facilitated a trip for 13 students — 11 from the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) one from the Lindner College of Business and one from the School of Information Technology — to explore Ghana, be immersed in the culture and venture outside of their comfort zones. Students were led by Cedrick Kwuimy and co-led by Nora Honken, faculty in UC's Department of Engineering and Computing Education.
UC faculty leader Cedrick Kwuimy (middle) with students in Ghana at Elmina Castle. Photo/Provided
"The main objective of the trip was to prepare students for the global workforce by exposing them to different cultures and how culture can be delivered into engineering," Kwuimy said.
On the ten-day trip with two full days of travel, the group took advantage of every moment, going all over the country. The trip started in the Ghanaian capital of Accra then to Cape Coast, Takoradi, and Kumasi before finishing at the capital.
The trip is part of the Global Technical Workforce course within CEAS. The course is open to students in any technical field and is an approved experience for the University Honors Program.
"This was my first time traveling internationally," said Temple Corbett, a third-year chemical engineering student. "It was a life-changing experience."
The trip's itinerary comprised cultural activities, teaching the students about Ghanaian history and tradition, educational activities, including industry visits to engineering companies, as well as an opportunity for sightseeing, trying local cuisine and relaxing on the beach.
Traveling abroad is just one facet of the college's focus on real-world learning for students. To complement what they learn in the classroom, engineering students at UC undertake experiences that prepare them for the workforce through their co-op jobs, student organizations or global opportunities like this one.
"We got to sit in on some lectures at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, which was cool because one of them was solid mechanics, a class I'm currently taking, so I knew what they were talking about," said Alex Ravagnani, a third-year aerospace engineering student.
A UC student gives UCC vice chancellor a CEAS gift bag. Photo/Provided
The group also visited UC's sister school in Ghana, the University of Cape Coast (UCC). UCC aided UC in planning and making housing and travel arrangements for the trip. Additionally, several weeks before the trip, the vice chancellor of UCC visited Cincinnati.
"We got to return the favor by visiting him at his estate while we were in Cape Coast," said Deborah Cole-Taylor, a third-year chemical engineering student. "That was really cool because they were very appreciative of us coming. They really value the relationship they have with UC and hope to send some of their students to visit us."
Along with classroom and university visits, the group went on industry visits as well. They visited four engineering companies, observing their operations processes and how it may differ from companies in the U.S. that are doing similar things.
"The idea was to show the students how the context of any given society can impact how it does engineering, evne though they are using the same science," Kwuimy said.
The trip was a learning experience for the students both personally and academically.
For third-year students Temple Corbett and Alex Ravagnani, this trip was their first time abroad, making it that much more impactful.
"One way this trip impacted my life was increasing my desire to travel the world and be immersed in every culture," Corbett said. "The trip changed the way I view myself, but also how I view the world."
Corbett said that prior to going on the trip, she only knew Kwuimy and fellow student Deborah Cole-Taylor, the other 11 students she had not met. On the trip, she learned to let her guard down around people and became good friends with the other students.
"I was just excited to go to another country," Ravagnani said. "Being able to live in a different culture for a week was a great opportunity."
Ravagnani said the hospitality he experienced from the people he met in Ghana had a big impact on him. At the end of the dinner party one evening on the trip, he was asked if he would like to return to Ghana in the future.
"When I told them yes, they said to just let them know and I'd have a place to stay," he said. "That kind of hospitality is not usually something you'd come across."
Deborah Cole-Taylor has traveled abroad before the trip to Ghana, but to Europe, which is somewhat similar in culture to the United States.
"Being in Ghana and being able to see how different things are was really eye opening," she said. "When I got to partake in traditions and get acclimated to things over there, I didn't see it as weird, it was just different than what I'm used to."
The opportunities provided for students by CEAS and UC International set them up for post-graduation success by giving them unique academic, professional and personal experiences and skillsets.
"Traveling abroad with trusted faculty and staff and having the connections that UC has to expand your network globally is simply amazing, and I will give credit to UC," Cole-Taylor said.
Featured image at top: UC study abroad group at Kakum National Park. Photo/Provided
Want to learn more?
Read more about the history of the Global Technical Workforce course and decade of adventures abroad.
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