Chiang Mai Journal of Science

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Science, almost by definition, is an international endeavor.  Fundamental science knows no national boundaries and our understanding of the natural environment and emerging technologies requires input from scientists from around the world.  Decades of collaborations and exchanges have produced some amazing breakthroughs that impact the whole world. Clearly, the choices of  topics for research in physics, chemistry, biology, and geology depend on the particular needs of different societies, government priorities, industrial and agricultural strengths, and unique regional environments.  But the increased interdependence of  our economies, the regional and world-wide impact of environmental changes, and phenomena like the rapid cross-border progression of certain diseases make it imperative that we share scientific information and technologies.

The interconnected world
As the GPS and the ‘Internet’ reach into the rice fields of Asia, the polar ice caps, and the most remote oceans, it is essential that young scientists participate as fully as possible in global science.  Universities are at the center of international exchanges for a number of reasons: many faculty members have been trained at foreign institutions and retain strong connections around the world; curricula are flexible and often provide foreign study options; research conferences bring together large numbers of scientists from around the world; the creation of new knowledge about the global environment is often in the mission statements of institutions; and the instantaneous access to large numbers of international publications through online data bases facilitates networking and information sharing.
For all of  these significant incentives and opportunities to engage in collaborative projects, the reality is that very few young scientists ever participate in internationally based research programs.  One mechanism, which will be the subject of  this OPINION article, is short-term exchanges which offer many advantages over long-term study-abroad programs.  By young, I mean primarily undergraduate and master’s level students, but doctoral students may benefit as well.  Full doctoral programs in science lasting 4-6 years at foreign institutions have a long tradition and certainly need to be continued, but these students are usually already committed to specialized areas of research, and the costs of such programs for the home country are quite substantial resulting in very limited numbers of  scholarships. My emphasis will be on encouraging others to find ways to provide experiences for more of the much younger science students who, by participating at an earlier career stage, can shape their studies by having some exposure and familiarity with globally significant topics in other countries.
At my large urban public university with 37,000 students, fewer than 100 undergraduates participate in formal study abroad programs each year, and most of  those come from the social sciences, humanities and language studies.  Among our hundreds of  science majors and master’s students, only a few have spent significant amounts of  time at a foreign institution, despite the wide availability of  study-abroad programs and funding incentives.  While there are many reasons for this situation, I wish to focus on how we can do more to encourage scientists from all fields to develop ways to increase the two-way flow of much younger scholars, especially undergraduates and master’s-level students, who may gain experience and insight by participating in international exchanges.

Short-term programs
Short-term programs of  4-10 weeks for undergraduates, or several months for graduate students, can be scientifically rewarding and cost-effective ways to expose students to research problems and priorities in different countries.  Full study-abroad programs for undergraduates throughout the academic year or longer are more complex to arrange because of the issues relating to academic credit and course equivalencies as well as language facility, and they are generally not research-based.  But for the sciences, shorter research-based and field-based experiences may be an effective way to motivate students in order to shape their careers by incorporating a more realistic assessment of how their interests and training relate to wider issues.  It is not simply a matter of  getting more young scientists to “do science”, since most of their home institutions are already active in research, but it is more a matter of “seeing science” in another context and from different viewpoints that allow students to think more globally.
There is certainly no magic formula for success, nor will one kind of  program fit all needs and interests that may include field-based as well as laboratory-based activities.  But I have come to appreciate the positive impact of  short-term research experiences for both our own students and faculty members traveling abroad and for foreign students and mentors coming here.  Key components that require careful consideration when planning short-term programs are (1) faculty commitment and involvement and (2) institutional commitment and support.  It is relatively easy to generate student interest among highly qualified students because short-term programs, especially during 2-3-month breaks, are less disruptive to school or part-time work.
Faculty members will need to deal with all aspects of the program, from working with the laboratory hosts to selecting students and dealing with the logistics of travel and cultural adjustments.  “Top down” programs are hard to sustain unless faculty members have real ownership and control over the specific scientific agenda as well as the program details.  Those who have existing collaborations have a head start and they can often see the value of experiences like these in shaping scientific maturity.  Involving junior colleagues in the process is essential to ensure continuing support and assistance.  These programs can be helpful in expanding their own collaborations and what they learn can be brought back to their own laboratories or to enhance their instruction of  advanced topics.
Institutional support at both ends usually includes some kind of  formal agreement to authorize the presence of students and faculty at each institution as well as to demonstrate to funding agencies that they are serious about collaborations.  For short-term programs, tuition or formal fees are often waived, especially if  both institutions have mutually agreed to reductions in order to facilitate exchange.  However, case-by-case considerations are usually necessary since there may be some specific expenses associated with hosting or travel that need to be recovered through bench fees or other kinds of support.

Some examples
A few examples may illustrate how others might create their own opportunities.  Countries where our interactions have been strongest include Thailand, England, Argentina, Brazil and Germany.  Funding sources have included our own university, the US government through the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of  Health, as well as foreign government and foreign university support.  Costs vary considerably, depending on the travel and living arrangements, bench fees, and any stipends that may paid, but there are creative ways to work through most situations within budgetary constraints.
For 6 years, our university has funded a program in environmental science research in Thailand (ESRT) that is funded through our own student “activity fees” that are collected to support Associated Students activities ranging from athlete travel to art exhibits.  The Instructionally Related Activities Fund supports 8 of  our students from biology, chemistry, biochemistry and geology, along with 2 faculty mentors, to spend 4-5 weeks in this tropical ecosystem, by paying for travel, lodging and a modest bench fee.  Students are hosted in separate research groups to shadow graduate or undergraduate students or research associates on environmentally-related problems.  These young students bring their own course backgrounds and research experiences with them and try to not only learn from the host scientists but also contribute some of their own knowledge.  Host mentors have been extremely helpful in defining the kind of participation that will be mutually beneficial.
The second program is a National Institutes of Health, Minority International Health and Health Disparities Research Training (NIH-MHIRT) program focusing on public health issues of  global and cultural significance.  Typically, 10-14 undergraduate or master’s-level students spend 10 weeks in the summer designing and completing full research projects in collaboration with host mentors in one of three countries: Argentina, England or Thailand.  This program requires higher-level research skills as well as a longer stay in the host country, but it allows for a much deeper appreciation of both the science and the cultural context of health-relatedn research. Both of these programs go well beyond the science, since students spend time in villages and towns, travel with new friends, visit clinics or research stations in remote areas, and begin to feel somewhat “at home”.  The personal growth parallels the scientific maturity they gain by getting rid of  preconceived notions of  what they will see and do, and replacing them with new perspectives and a greater appreciation of how a country deals with environmental and health stresses. Another area of interaction involves our hosting visiting scholars and visiting research students from other countries.  This includes field camps in geology or field studies in biology, as well as laboratory-based projects in all disciplines.  Most of  the funding comes from their home institutions or governments, but some local funds are utilized to support the exchanges. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry alone has hosted nearly 20 Thai scholars at all levels – from undergraduates to senior faculty members – to conduct research and experience the cultural context of  science in the US.  Several Royal Golden Jubilee scholars from Thailand have worked for 6-9 months in our department, and other doctoral students have had joint collaborations with us and nearby doctoral institutions.  The summer National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program includes two German undergraduate chemistry or biochemistry majors who travel here to conduct research in our well-equipped laboratories.  In addition, a program in marine biology with Brazil has resulted in student and faculty mentor exchanges for several months at a time. Selection of  students to send to a host country, or receive from a foreign country, is a highly subjective endeavor.  While demonstrated academic achievement is important, it is good to remember that an average student with superior motivation and adaptability is often better than a superior student with average (or below average) motivation and adaptability. And sometimes you take a risk with a student who turns out to be the one who accomplishes the most and who demonstrates the most maturity as a result of them being allowed to participate.  Also, for the host laboratory, the presence of  a foreign scholar can be a fruitful way to expose their own students and colleagues to different scientific or cultural viewpoints.
Moving forward While international scientific exchanges have traditionally focused on high-level and senior exchanges, I maintain that much earlier interaction is important, especially since we are expecting more and more of  our students in terms of  appreciating the global issues that interest us as professional scientists.  I don’t believe that foreign study or exchange should be put off  until one is “established” and can afford the luxury of  time or the availability of  large fellowships. Short-term experiences of  several weeks may be quite enough to spark new ideas and allow students to see the real relevance of  their own scientific interests.  It is becoming more and more a necessity for the emerging generation of science students to be “abroad” as an integral part of their training in global problems and new technologies and I encourage all who read this article to look for creative ways  to cultivate young scientists as international scholars. Thank you.

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