University of Wisconsin-Madison

Learn to work better globally through a comparative examination and analysis of global trends and regional variations of engineering concepts, standards and practices. Using organizational (public and private sector) case studies, this course will describe and analyze multi-national and national engineering operations, summarizing best practices and caveats.

Comparative regional and national engineering professional practice procedures and methods will be explored from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific Basin.

Course Topics

International Engineering Systems

• What exists today; plans for tomorrow
• Organizations: national and multi-national
• Country briefings

Engineering Professional Practice

• Consultant versus corporate
• Engineering norms and standards
• Engineering codes and procedures

Engineering Operations

• Office and desktop procedures
• Field and on-site work
• Professional and personal approaches

Working Across Cultures

• National and regional cultures
• Business and corporate cultures
• Languages, verbal and nonverbal
• Analysis techniques from Hofstede and Trompenaars

Special Concerns

• Economic and legal
• Social and political
• Strategies, structures and people