Experiences and observations in introducing students to design and manufacturing globalization

During the spring of 2004, a new graduate course was offered at Brigham Young University with the objective of introducing engineering students to design and manufacturing issues associated with global product realization. Learning activities in the course included a study of relevant literature, case studies on globalization issues, team projects, and exercises. The course culminated with three weeks of visits to design and manufacturing enterprises involved in globalization in the United States, Japan, and China. This course was again offered during the spring of 2005. This paper presents some of the motivation for developing the course and the experiences and observations in conducting the course.