Exploring the global aerospace marketplace — A first project in international communication for non-native english speakers

While cultural diversity in the Middle East is a natural condition, there is also a certain commonality in the habits, communication, and process skills of the students throughout the region. Inherent features of Middle Eastern mentality, such as the importance of loyalty and personal relationship, the primarily verbal form of communication, and the less stringent definition of time, often undermine interpersonal rapport, especially so in the context of the aerospace industry which is primarily driven by western communication criteria. A freshman project aimed at exposing the students to the communication skills required in the global aerospace industry is presented here. The project consists of surveying the initiatives of the commercial aerospace industry to address increasing global environmental concerns, and takes place at the Dubai Air Show. The students, who are all non-native English speakers and of diverse Middle Eastern origin, are organized in teams that explore different branches of the industry with regards to environmental policies and strategies, and thereby, in addition to technical knowledge, acquire skills such as teamwork, professional communication and presentation skills in a global environment. The project learning outcomes focus on the development of these critical process skills for non-native English speakers.