Study abroad experience in South Africa through short-term collaborative projects

There is a sense of urgency to encourage students in the U.S. to embark on some form of study abroad experience. A whole semester or year abroad is a deterrent for many students because of the relatively large time commitment in an unknown environment and also because of concerns regarding completion of degree requirements. In this paper a short-term study abroad program is described in which students from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department at the University of Illinois collaborated in teams with senior engineering students in South Africa on capstone design projects. The projects were proposed by the School of Bioresources Engineering and Environmental Hydrology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Excursions were organized to expand student cultural awareness and understanding of agricultural practices and technology development. It was concluded that the format followed for this international exchange was very effective and successful in meeting the objectives set out for this short-term educational experience.