10.2 Working with Projects 1 CROSSING BORDERS – 6 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE STUDENT DESIGN PROJECTS G.N. Saunders-Smits 1 , P.C. Roling 1 , J.A. Melkert 1 , R. Curran 2 , R.K. Cooper 2 , J. M. Early 2 1 Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS Delft, the Netherlands, (G.N.Saunders@tudelft.nl , P.C.Roling@tudelft.nl , J.A.Melkert@tudelft.nl ) 2 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, Stranmillis road, Belfast BT9 5AH, Northern Ireland (R.Curran@qub.ac.uk , R.Cooper@qub.ac.uk , J.Early@qub.ac.uk ) Abstract The globalisation of the engineering workplace has elevated the importance of preparing engineering students for an international working environment. This paper reports on the development and results of an international aerospace design exercise, organised for students from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Six years of experience has demonstrated that if properly managed, taking into account learning styles and cultural dimensions, international design exercises such as these are extremely worthwhile and provide students with a number of additional competencies not readily encountered in most engineering degree courses, such as the abilities to work with teams of different cultures/learning styles, and to deal with the challenges of long distance communication. Keywords: active learning, international design projects, cultural dimensions, group work 1. INTRODUCTION The current aerospace market has seen a shift in the way aircraft design is approached. Design, development and manufacture have become largely international activities – for instance, Japan was a risk-sharing partner in the design and development of the Boeing 777, and the current development of the new Airbus A380 has involved partners from all over Europe. On a grander scale, the design and development of the International Space Station was elevated to a global level. The scale and risk associated with these projects has driven the need for distribution, and is shaping the aerospace companies of the future. The multidisciplinary nature of these design activities poses a core challenge in the field of aerospace engineering in understanding the complex relationships which exist between the individual disciplines (such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, etc). The design of air- and spacecraft is a highly demanding due to the often conflicting requirements which exist, arising from factors such as safety, performance and environmental risk assessment, driven by regulations and customer demand which often have differing priorities. The designer is required to integrate the diverse disciplines, and develop a solution which will satisfy a multitude of constraints. With this in mind, design should be considered as a central discipline in any Aerospace Engineering educational programme.