An approach towards the integration of international research experiences for underrepresented students in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria

Abstract

The New York City Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NYC LSAMP) at the City University of New York (CUNY) has, since its inception in November 1992, been at the forefront of a concentrated effort to substantially increase the number of underrepresented minority students who pursue and graduate with Baccalaureate Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Since its inception in November 1992, over 14,000 baccalaureate degrees have been awarded to underrepresented minority students at CUNY. The NYC LSAMP has been successful in establishing international collaborative partnerships in Sweden, the Netherlands, Brazil, Austria, Morocco and Colombia. The multi-pronged approach consists of 1) collaborating with existing programs within the NSF and other federal agencies, 2) working collaboratively with a core of mentors/faculty who have international collaborations, 3) working closely with Departments, Institutes and Centers at CUNY who have international agreements, significant international research focus, and 4) working collaboratively with other Alliances, all of which have some developed program activities in international research. By targeting participants of the LSAMP program in CUNY and nationally, the reported model will allow the United States to benefit from the local CUNY and national networks of over 350 colleges and universities that comprise the LSAMP program. At CUNY (and nationally), LSAMP programs are well poised to participate in international programs, and for Scholars to acquire training in an international collaborative environment, thereby contributing towards the development of a globally competent scientific and engineering workforce. From 2008-2016 over 170 NYC LSAMP Scholars have participated in International Research Experiences in 24 different countries. This paper will emphasize the elements of the approach and integration into the LSAMP program operations with a focus on collaborations between NYC Alliance and three universities in Sweden (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)), the Netherlands (Maastricht University) and Austria (TU-Graz and University of Graz). A total of fifty six (56) students participated from 2008 to 2016. Each collaborating site possessed unique training opportunities. At the Royal Institute of Technology the collaboration with an NSF funded IRE project, students were engaged in research primarily in the chemical engineering field. At Maastricht University, students were engaged in neuroscience anchored in one department with an on-site coordinator matriculated in a dual degree doctoral program at the CUNY Graduate Center and Maastricht University. A multi-disciplinary approach was applied in Austria with TU-Graz hosting the engineering students and the students in the life sciences were hosted by the University of Graz.