Developing Global Leaders

As globalization brings people of different backgrounds together, the need for intercultural understanding is growing. The ACTIVA TU SPEAKING —Global Intercultural Challenge Creative Inquiry project, mentored by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, allows students to explore that understanding by interacting with international peers. The project connects students from Clemson to students at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico to collaborate on challenges that address scientific curiosity and communication.

Each semester, students are split into three intercultural teams that also include students from a high school in Guadalajara. The teams identify a global problem of interest and work together through weekly meetings to exchange ideas (in both languages) and identify solutions. The goal is not necessarily to solve the problem, but to foster conversations which are not covered in the students’ language classes. Examples of projects include how music affects stress levels, a healthy planet challenge and how happiness is perceived during the pandemic. The ability to practice Spanish in the context of these projects enhances the students’ communication skills and intercultural experiences by allowing open, intellectual conversations instead of those in a moderated environment which is typical of a foreign language class. After working on the project for a year, students see the value in these interactions. “I am able to hold more intellectual conversations in Spanish as opposed to just the cookie-cutter things they teach you in a Spanish class,” Jackson Sanders, a senior biological sciences major, said.

The team structure of this Creative Inquiry project not only enhances the students’ communication skills, but emphasizes the importance of knowing how to work with a diverse group of people. “I wanted [the students] to learn to work in teams. I worked in industry for six years, and I know it’s one of the skills you need to have, even dealing with people who don’t speak your language,” Rodriguez said. Living and working in an interconnected world requires people to not only know another language, but to truly understand the people who speak it. Having these skills is crucial in the professional world and by learning them in college, these Clemson students will be prepared to step into leadership positions in the future.

Though international experiences such as study abroad are not new, these Clemson students are taking the first steps to become global citizens by immersing themselves in their projects with their Spanish-speaking collaborators. In doing so, they are also setting themselves apart as leaders in the professional world. Whether they are studying and working abroad or staying in the United States, these students are developing the expertise that they need to be global leaders.