About the project
This project aims to develop tools to train and inspire the future professionals who will solve global problems in collaboration with international peers. The project is based on the previous successful collaboration between Novia UAS and University of Magallanes (UMAG), two higher education institutions located on opposite sides of the world, with a strong focus on engineering. It aims to broaden the view and global understanding of students, who will in their future careers be part of teams that jointly solve climate change related challenges.The main goal of INSPIRE is to empower engineering students to learn and use the English language in authentic working environments through collaboration among educators and student mobility and joint online activities. Collaboration among educators will explore the potential of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) to increase English learning across engineering courses. The tools can also be adapted to other languages, but English is the most relevant one for Chilean students. The aim of the student mobility is to give the opportunity for UMAG's students to participate in the European Project Semester (EPS) at Novia UAS and for Novia UAS students internship possibilities at UMAG's Center for Studies of Energy Resources (CERE).
Online communication opens a path for continuous and wider collaboration across fields of expertise, beyond engineering. The EPS activity will give the opportunity for two students from UMAG to travel to Vaasa to join the EPS team for four months, gaining an invaluable perspective. UMAG is developing a hydrogen laboratory and has close links with industry, which will offer Novia UAS students a unique internship experience.
Project goal
The project contributes to the joint development of innovative educational methodologies and strengthened collaboration between the higher education institutions and industry. For UMAG it will be an introduction to the methodology developed by the European EPS network during more than a decade and to conclude what parts of it could be adapted at UMAG and to the Chilean context. The tools developed in the project can be integrated and adapted as part of language courses at Novia UAS.By incorporating some of the outcomes and insights from the project into existing curricula, courses, and programs will provide staff and students access to international perspectives and experiences as part of their educational journey. Furthermore, the project aims to identify ways to introduce aspects of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology into engineering fields of both universities, drawing on its successful application in health and welfare, as well as business programs at Novia UAS.
Tom Lillhonga
Senior Lecturer