Ethical Issues in Engineering:
To start, there is definitely a high standard for earthquake resistant building and safety. Most of the buildings are constructed with this higher standard. There are actually signs and routes for escaping the inevitable tsunami that will follow an earthquake strike. As far as safety goes, standards here seem to be relatively the same as in the states. Other than these standards, women are also highly respected and are near equals in the workplace in Chilean culture and business. This means that ethically Chilean engineering and businesses can be very beneficial to American life and business. Also, even though I did not see many black people in Chile, I did not feel any kind of prejudice or racism while in Chile. One significant difference in Chilean lifestyle is that the entire country is a Catholic country. This means businesses are generally closed on Sundays. In this sense things can be slower than more fast paced American businesses. This also means that divorce is a rather new thing in Chile and gay rights simply do not exist. Still, crime and corruption are rather low in Chile. This means that doing business with Chile could be considered more trustworthy than doing some business in America.
Educational Breadth as Professional Development:
Based on this experience traveling in Chile alone, I can say with confidence that education abroad is very necessary and important to understanding the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. I believe there are enough differences between Chile and the United States that students should expand their classroom experience to include learning about this culture. For instance, because Chile is a smaller country than the states, business is done on a more personal level. To be successful in Chile you have to get to know and almost befriend your business partner. Of course the language is different because Spanish is spoken, but even simple things such as greetings can be different in Chile. Together, there are many differences that make Chile unique from the United States. Just having ‘street smart’ stray dogs wondering around on every block is a major difference and it can take getting used to. I look forward to studying abroad in the future to further prepare me for the global economy.
Lifelong Learning:
This experience confirmed the idea that the ability to engage in life-long learning is not only important, but is needed to compete in the future. As I went on the various company visits it soon became clear how important the ability to engage in life-long learning truly is. Technology is constantly becoming more and more advanced. This means that there must be intelligent engineers who are capable of adapting and learning things outside of just their classroom experiences alone. At LAN Airlines, the company is constantly attempting to upgrade their aircraft fleets to new and improved brands of planes. This in turn means that the company must be able to learn and adapt to these new planes and the new technologies they may come with. This is a direct example of how professionals have to involve themselves in constant learning beyond what they received in various schooling. It is important because if professionals cannot engage in this kind of learning that progress can never be made and if they are working for a company such as LAN airlines, than they will simply not be able to compete against this global economy. Clearly it is very important and significant to gain the ability and will to engage in a life-long learning to be able to adapt to whatever situation or new technology that may come your way.
The Social Environment of Professional Life:
There is a clear connection between Chilean social life and their professional life. One thing that I became aware of was the relationships the workers had with their co-workers and visitors. The people seem to appreciate becoming friends with their workers and getting to know them. From the company visits, the co-workers seemed to have a respect and friendship for one another that is not always so commonplace in American businesses. Chileans also seem to know a lot about what is going on in the United States, both politically and socially. This is different because I certainly do not know much about Chilean politics or social issues. I commonly saw on the television President Obama speaking or news about Osama Bin Laden’s death. These are things I would expect to possibly be on the television briefly, but instead it appeared that the Chilean news took these issues seriously as there were often panels of people discussing issues that I thought were mainly relevant to the United States. This is because the media in Chile realizes the impact Obama and his decisions can have on their country and the rest of the world. This shows just how important it is to have knowledge of issues that are related to the global economy.
Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams:
It is definitely important for professionals to be able to function and communicate effectively as a member of a team of individuals from diverse backgrounds. I believe I can excel when working on multi-disciplinary teams. For instance, during this program, I was put into a group with two other business students. I did not find this to be a problem but rather helpful to completing our assignments. For parts that would usually cause me trouble the business students excelled, and when I could be more useful I shined. This allowed for a very productive and cooperative team that encountered few problems. The main problem that could occur is when trying to communicate engineering terms to a business student and vice-versa. That is why it is important to work in groups like this, to get used to being able to communicate so anyone can fully understand the context of what you are trying to explain. Fortunately, my group was able to communicate effectively and experienced little issues getting our points across to one another. This experience in working in multi-disciplinary teams is very important and I would encourage all students to be involved in it to further expand their ability to function and communicate effectively with other professionals of different backgrounds.
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