The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has made clear the need for engineering graduates to function on global, multi-disciplinary teams. Industry has also made it clear that global, integrated product and process teams are the current and emerging normal manner of business. To satisfy industry's need and ABET requirements, Wichita State University has initiated the Spirit Global Design Challenge. Often, these two requirements (teaming and global) are considered

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... tly. One of the key components of the Spirit Global Design Challenge is to integrate multi-disciplinary teaming in a global environment. Eight students from two institutions (four from each institution) on each side of the Atlantic participated in the challenge in the Fall of 2008. Each student, faculty and industry person involved completed a survey concerning their global perceptions. The survey was completed prior to the experience and after completion of the experience. Producing global engineering graduates is a strategic goal of our college which has launched a strategic initiative, the 'Engineer of 2020,' in order to prepare graduates for effective engagement in the engineering profession in the year 2020. Both global and multidisciplinary criteria are now part of a program required for all engineering students beginning with the Fall 2007 class. This program will make the educational experience more meaningful to the student and the student more desirable to local, national and international industries. This paper describes the motivation for the Spirit Global Design Challenge, its linkage to ABET outcomes, defines global learning and how it integrates into the Engineer of 2020 program, and provides pilot implementation lessons learned and the initial assessment of students' global perceptions (pre and post global design experience). The paper then concludes with plans for the next implementation.