Follow Spencer Weber, a third-year civil engineering and international development student, as he blogs about his summer work in Zambia with Engineers Without Borders Canada in the agriculture value chains sector. (blog)

2010 - 2011 Internships and Exchanges

WE GO GLOBAL

Western Engineering students have the opportunity to internationalize their studies with WE Go Global – a certificate program that includes a 12-week externship in an international setting that may include a volunteer work experience, paid work experience, or experiential learning. The certificate can be completed concurrently with a Bachelor of Engineering Science (BESc) degree. Courses include ethics, foreign language, and a selection of courses from global studies, sociology, geography, and/or political science.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

Western Engineering students also have the option to study in a different country to learn a new culture. In third year of studies at Western Engineering they will have the opportunity to travel and live abroad while pursuing your studies through an academic international exchange. Morgan Kwan, a third-year Chemical Engineering student, is currently on an international exchange at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. “I felt it was important to experience what it is like to live in Asia and get an understanding of the education and business systems here as the future economy, and most likely my career, will be heavily influenced by this part of the world,” explains Morgan. “Travel and exchange make the world seem like a much smaller and friendlier place.”

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Civil Engineering students have the option to specialize in applications to address complex, societal, environmental, economic issues and infrastructure problems for communities in developing countries or in First Nation communities. Students may complete a Summer Community Development Placement to gain technical engineering experience in the context of development.

CO-OP & INTERNSHIPS

During the 2010 – 2011 academic year, four students worked with PCR Contractors in Windsor, studying emerging contaminants in wastewater and their effective removal.  Placements included:

  • Environment Canada in Burlington studying emerging contaminants in wastewater and their effective removal

  • Golder Associates in London working on contaminated site projects (lab testing, checking field logs)

  • Suncor in Sarnia working as an Environmental Health and Safety Intern in the environmental group on leak detection