Succeeding in a Trans-Continental Academic Partnership - Renewable Energy Desktop Learning Gasification Module

Increasingly researchers are attempting to build international research collaborations. Challenges exist in establishing and maintaining such interactions to make them successful. In this paper we present an assessment of experiences gained from an international collaboration between Washington State University, and the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology and Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, Nigeria which grew from a relationship initiated during a Fulbright Exchange. This discussion focuses on two aspects in establishing successful international research partnerships: first, an administrative component examining how to establish, launch and maintain international relationships that fosters successful transcontinental research efforts and second, a practical application focusing on research exchange centered on developing and implementing a biogasification system for use in the classroom with a team of undergraduate students from each respective location. These two components are natural progressions, and takeaways for successful research collaboration include a solid understanding of differences in cultures and values, a mutual understanding between each group to undertake pieces of the project within the capabilities of their own facilities as well as recognition and adaptability when technological constraints hinder project progression. In addressing energy demands for the future it is critical to decrease emissions from fossil fuels while harnessing energy from renewable resources. These concerns reach across political and geographical borders, and, when considering the establishing of knowhow and practice in developing nations, researchers and practitioners need to address the special needs of capacity building and infrastructure and resource limitations. Beyond that one must be cognizant of how to create a link with engineers and scientists to begin with and then go beyond that to maintain the collaboration while considering issues related to tact, communication, and understanding the influence of culture on research and interaction practice [1]. In this paper we consider a USAID/NSF PEER program aimed at enhancing the understanding of biomass conversion technology and meeting the challenges of implementation in a developing nation. This project focuses on a global problem, energy demand, and utilizes an existing collaboration to develop a miniaturized hands-on learning module for implementation in the classroom and train future engineers from both sites while exposing them to international collaborations to develop their problem-solving skills. The module is being designed to overcome process implementation barriers in resource limited environments like Nigeria. Discussions for writing and submitting the USAID-PEER proposal that supports this work were initiated by Washington State University (WSU) with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Nigeria, and called on existing collaborations for developing miniaturized fluid mechanics and heat transfer modules. The project description involves a team of undergraduates from both sites P ge 1.31.2 working on different components for the development of a miniaturized biomass to biofuels system via gasification. To describe how to build and implement a successful international collaboration, this paper is structured as follows: first, a section describing how to initiate and foster successful international relationships and engage in trans-continental research and second, a practical application of how to do this on an individual project, taking the USAID-PEER project as an empirical example. Part I: Initiating and fostering international relationships Achieving success in initiating cross-cultural international collaborations, especially with developing nations, requires an alternative kind and of commitment different from taking on a similar endeavor in one’s own culture. To be successful researchers must make a decision to go to another country personally, and ultimately to be truly successful at building critical relationships they must go a step further, that of total immersion in another culture. We can read books about a country or culture, however, it is another matter to experience and learn to manage differences in cultural norms, customs, food and the way food is eaten, greetings, ethics and values, beliefs, and then integrate that experience in relating to the international partner to form healthy international relationships with successful professional outcomes. To engage in such a process takes risk, sacrifice and professional commitment in pursuing opportunities such as a Fulbright exchange. Run through the US Department of State a Fulbright offers the opportunity to work through a US embassy in a country of interest to identify universities with colleague who have similar interest and with viable programs. Many such programs do not have websites, or if they do have them they are mediocre in quality and may not even list the program of interest, and even if they do so it’s highly likely they will neither list the faculty nor their research interests. Obviously, the risk is in that a researcher likely will not immediately find the niche for which he or she is looking. To effectively counter the void in readily accessible information one can work through the Cultural Affairs Office of the US embassy who frequently sends delegations to institutions that are key to the educational, research and economic development of a nation. An example pertinent to the case for establishing collaboration in renewable energy research is that of a co-author’s experience (Van Wie) in pursuit of a meaningful Fulbright exchange in Nigeria (the Fulbright program is also knowns as the Council for International Exchange of Scholars). First, one must realize the Fulbright applications are due a year in advance (August 1 st ) and that a researcher can work with the Fulbright program office to identify prospective international partners before completing the application. This is necessary because a letter of invitation is needed with the application. However, it’s important to know that the Fulbright program does have some flexibility. For those who may have missed this early deadline there is a note on the Fulbright page that says if you missed the deadline, there still may be opportunities and that an inquiry should be made; this was the case in this instance. A discussion with the P ge 1.31.3 Fulbright office led to consideration of several African countries until a suitable institution with a strong chemical engineering program and biofuels interest was determined. Since Nigeria has a substantial petroleum-based industry it was considered, and also because it has the second largest number of Fulbright openings (4 faculty and 4 student positions) and the second largest number of institutions participating in the Fulbright program in Africa. A suitable position was identified by working with the US embassy in Abuja, which quickly located a university of interest, Ahmadu University (ABU), with one of the top flight chemical engineering programs in Nigeria, with a typical cadre of about 70 graduate MS and PhD students and 35 academic staff faculty, several of whom are engaged in biomass conversion efforts. Two points-of-contact were provided and after contact within 24 hours two invitations to join the two different universities as a Fulbright lecturer/researcher were offered. Subsequent discussions about the research areas at the two institutions, and cultures in the two areas led to the decision to join the faculty at ABU in northern Nigeria. Of course undergirding this was a supportive family with a hunger to go together to Africa after weighing the risks and benefits of distant travel and life in a new culture. As an aside the risk was worth it and one of the author’s sons is now married to a Nigerian and they have blessed the family with a new grandson. One of the key points made in the Fulbright orientation is that scholars need to be flexible – that the original proposed work approved by the Fulbright program may not be available once the Scholar arrives and they need to be patient, flexible and persistent in making the Fulbright exchange meaningful in any reasonable way possible. Needless to say, while ABU has a strong graduate research program in biofuels, the partnership for the work at hand was not realized until a few years later, though the contacts and exposure began immediately after arrival. The current Nigerian partner became chair of chemical engineering a day after arrival as a Fulbright scholar and the co-PI, then a graduate student/lecturer, assisted with acclimation to computer facilities, bartering at the market and exposure to automobile sales people. However, immediate research connections proceeded down a different path that lead to a World Bank supported effort to expand use of hands-on learning equipment for teaching fluid mechanics and heat transfer to a number of Nigerian institutions as well as with a biosensor emphasis for detecting cyanide in cassava, a staple food in the culture. These efforts afforded the maintaining of critical relationships and trust with the researchers at the original Fulbright institution. We must also offer advice about maintaining the relationship and confidence in contractual work among countries with vastly differing procedural norms. While both US and international institutions seek to operate with integrity, the pace and efficiency in which things are done are varied. In the US we have grown to expect a “sharp-sharp” response to any need. Contrary to this a developing nation may be dealing with regular 1⁄2-day power outages, internet connectivity issues, frequent political and labor-related disruptions to semester work schedules, and a bureaucracy that can take months and even years for documents to be signed, approvals to be given, and moneys to be transferred. There really is no way to under