Undergraduate Design Experiences in the Trans-Atlantic Biosystems Engineering Network (TABE.NET)

A Trans-Atlantic Biosystems Engineering Network (TABE.NET) has been established with
the overall goal to advance internationalization of Biosystems Engineering (BSEN) curricula and
develop a global awareness within the discipline. The participating institutions are Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC),
University College Dublin (UCD), Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Universidad Politecnica de
Madrid (UPM), and University of Bari (UniBar). A working group is exploring the potential to develop
an international collaborative design project for undergraduate students in the participating
institutions. This paper summarizes the first step in the process by examining current course
structures and design experiences across the network.
There is a clear trend towards problem-based learning in real-life type design projects in team
environments. There is potential for a collaborative undergraduate design activity across the network
but further discussion and analysis is required.