International Student Collaboration Through Projects Using Common Software and Field Experiences: Foundation to Program Development

The University of Notre Dame (UND, USA) and the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC, Bénin, West Africa) initiated a program whereby undergraduates at UND work with graduate students at UAC. The program involves two years of collaborative effort, including 8 weeks of field effort in Bénin. Constraints encountered were related to different languages used by the two student groups, funding, travel to Africa, project definition, and technical training. These constraints were addressed via four points of strength: (i) common interest in the project at the two universities, (ii) the use of a common program environment (the use of publicly available software), (iii) participation by faculty from UND and UAC, and (iv) the program is built on common student interest in obtaining experience in groundwater sampling as well as in a project with socio-cultural impact. Initial assessment of the program indicates positive attributes as well as points where improvement can be realized.