Investigating the impact of multinational collaborations on cultural understanding, health disparities, biomedical innovations, and professional development through project-based learning

The criticality of global health was put on full display following the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on communities, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Biomedical innovations that have been actively developed over the years played a critical role in combating the crisis and bringing communities together. However, even with significant technological advancements, solving global health issues with realistic solutions requires an intimate understanding of culture, socioeconomics, and educational competency, among other factors. The Biomedical Innovations for Global Impact course at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, provides students with the opportunity to focus on specific healthcare system problems and work collaboratively with students from other disciplines and other countries. By collaborating with institutions in Panama and India, students are provided the opportunity to address health care system challenges under the advisement of clinical and entrepreneurial mentors. This study focused on evaluating the course via pre- and post-course surveys completed by the students, focusing on their educational experience, personal growth, professional development, and cultural understanding. Student feedback on educational experience indicated a strong agreement that the course enhanced understanding of the design process as well as infrastructure challenges. Post-course analysis revealed an improvement in research skills, interdisciplinary communication, and real-world applications of both business and biomedical engineering principles. Approximately 85% of students agreed that the course improved their ability to engage in interdisciplinary groups while enhancing their understanding of global health. No significant shifts in the pre- and post-course responses were observed, which indicated that the high expectations of students were met. While most students recognized the value of engineering and entrepreneurial partnerships, some expressed interest in the application of these lessons on an international stage. The students’ cultural understanding prompts revealed a high agreement on its importance in global innovation. However, results revealed challenges in cross-cultural engagement and internal team communication, and active engagement. Qualitative responses revealed that students grew in empathy, cultural competence, and awareness of global health disparities. Despite the challenges that students experienced, many students appreciated the opportunity to apply their knowledge to explore diverse ideas and engage with real-world challenges as part of the course. The multicultural teams encouraged creativity and allowed students to broaden their horizons. In addition, the students had to learn to re-evaluate prior assumptions and increase their empathy, adaptability, and inclusiveness.