CEAS Engineering Diplomats
During the Summer '16 semester I was contacted by Dr. Orkwis about an invitation to join a new organization being started by the College of Engineering and Applied Science. I was initially intrigued by the opportunity as I recognized Dr. Orkwis' name (as I had roomed with one of his sons my freshman year) but as I continued to read about the developing organization I knew this was an invitation that I could not pass up on. The organization (unnamed at that time) was being established to prepare for the arrival of students from the UC/Chongqing Joint Cooperative Education Institute in Fall 2017.
After reaching out to Dr. Orkwis to confirm my interest in the developing organization, I began one of the most impactful experiences I have had during my time at the University of Cincinnati. Participating in the Engineering Diplomats has allowed me to gain experience planning for events, developing an organization from the ground up, making new contacts, and traveling abroad.
At its inception, the organization consisted of four student diplomats and four faculty advisors. The faculty leadership including Dr. Orkwis, Dr. Liao, Dr. Prokhorova, and Dr. Brown explained the goals of the program to us and then took a step back, giving us relatively large freedom in planning events and developing the program as we saw fit in order to address the needs of UC students in Cincinnati and Chongqing.
Formally, the Engineering Diplomats is an organization that seeks to:
The arrival of the CQU students marks an opportunity for both UC and CQU students to gain international experience and cultural competence. The Engineering Diplomats host events prior to the CQU students' arrival to raise awareness for the benefits of this program. We also strive to develop a sustainable support system beyond their arrival at UC through collaboration with existing student organizations and other partnerships.
After reaching out to Dr. Orkwis to confirm my interest in the developing organization, I began one of the most impactful experiences I have had during my time at the University of Cincinnati. Participating in the Engineering Diplomats has allowed me to gain experience planning for events, developing an organization from the ground up, making new contacts, and traveling abroad.
At its inception, the organization consisted of four student diplomats and four faculty advisors. The faculty leadership including Dr. Orkwis, Dr. Liao, Dr. Prokhorova, and Dr. Brown explained the goals of the program to us and then took a step back, giving us relatively large freedom in planning events and developing the program as we saw fit in order to address the needs of UC students in Cincinnati and Chongqing.
Formally, the Engineering Diplomats is an organization that seeks to:
- Build excitement and understanding for the arrival of CQU students (currently mechanical and electrical engineering majors) transferring to UC's main campus during their senior year
- Create community and foster innovation through intercultural relations between the Cincinnati and Chongqing UC students
The arrival of the CQU students marks an opportunity for both UC and CQU students to gain international experience and cultural competence. The Engineering Diplomats host events prior to the CQU students' arrival to raise awareness for the benefits of this program. We also strive to develop a sustainable support system beyond their arrival at UC through collaboration with existing student organizations and other partnerships.