This trip flew by, it’s hard to believe it’s basically over now. Today, we returned to Bilbao after the big game. It was clear that there was a lot of activity there yesterday. We got to do closing activities at the school of engineering, which was sad after spending so much time there. We listened to two presentations, one about the engineering design process and the other about a new type of ventilator.
It was cool to hear about the design process from their perspective here in Bilbao. A lot of it overlaps with what we have learned in class, however their specific examples were different. The approval process for them was different, and it seems like some ideas here die early because they don’t have funding. I am not completely sure yet how often this happens in the US, but that part was slightly discouraging to hear. However, the project for stroke patients, Oreka, has made it very far along and is still amazing to listen to. In addition, the new ventilator was very cool to hear about. It is amazing how impactful this can be for patients, and how different this is from what ventilators are now. It’s still annoying to see all of the approval needed, and how long it takes. Overall, these two speakers were very insightful and inspiring to continue in engineering.
We then had a final lunch at the cafeteria, and closed the trip out with a kahoot, and remarks from Dr. Herrero. I really appreciated the message of the story she read us, which is a children’s book, but its theme is the importance of engineering. This importance is through the idea of helping others and making that your main goal. She also reminded us to continue to do what we love. To close out later in the day, we did a group dinner as well, at an Argentinian Pizza restaurant.
Therefore, my first trip outside of Europe was a truly amazing experience, in terms of professional development and cultural experience. After this trip, I really hope to do another global experience sometime soon. I am so grateful for everyone that made this experience possible, and that I had the opportunity to do this.
