Cultivating Multicultural Perspectives: Lessons from Suprudo and Lyon

Introduction

As a first-generation US citizen with both parents from different origins, multiculturalism has always been a significant aspect of my identity. With family scattered around the world and parents who made an effort to incorporate their respective cultural perspectives into my upbringing, I was exposed to an international view of the world from a young age. As a college student, my multicultural awareness has evolved further thanks to my academic pursuits.

Two international experiences I’ve had as a university student have helped develop my perspective on culture, resources, and sustainability, especially within the context of urban infrastructure. From the ten days I spent in the rural community of Suprudo in Ghana, to the five months I lived in Lyon, France, I was able to experience diverse lifestyles and observe the effects of existing infrastructure on quality of life. Both of these experiences have been incredibly impactful, not only in the context of my personal growth, but the grand challenges I’d like to tackle as an engineer. 

Witnessing Water Infrastructure Challenges in Suprudo, Ghana

Over spring break of my sophomore year, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Anomabo, Ghana on a public health brigade as part of the nonprofit organization, Global Brigades, with a team of nine other UP students. On this trip, our team was divided into groups of three to assist in constructing toilets with biodigester waste systems. We worked alongside local artisans for different households in Suprudo. Immersing ourselves into Ghanaian culture and building connections with locals made it a truly unforgettable experience. It also helped me to confront my privilege and the many aspects of western living that are often taken for granted, as well as the severity of the hardships faced by people in the community. Waterborne illnesses remain an active threat to the lives of many and thrive due to a lack of resources for prevention. Most residents are forced to resort to open defecation due to the inadequate water and sewage utilities. During my brief stay, I was struck by the realization that something so arbitrary as the circumstances of our birth was the only real determinant separating community members grappling with extreme poverty from my own life of comfort in the US. 

The household leader my group worked with, Abraham, shared his story and hopes for Suprudo. Every three days, he replenishes his family’s drinking water supply kept in a plastic barrel within their home. He explained that this process consists of about 10, 10-minute trips under the scorching sun, to and from the main water source near the center of the community, to fully fill the barrel. Murky, untreated water from a nearby river is used for just about everything else, which also needs to be manually transported by Abraham to his house. He expressed his hope for water infrastructure to be installed in Suprudo to make water more accessible for all members of the community. Abraham specifically asked for his story to be shared so that more people can be made aware of the struggles he and so many others face in communities like Suprudo. 

My time in Ghana demonstrated the significance and impact of infrastructure development on the public health and general wellbeing of a community. At the same time, I was incredibly inspired by the level of determination and innovation demonstrated by the locals, and impressed by the outcomes of their efforts despite the lack of resources. I think that western society often puts such an emphasis on high-tech concepts and values complexity, thereby dismissing low-tech interventions. However, low-tech engineering practices can be more efficient and sustainable, often with a lower impact on the environment. For instance, the toilet systems we helped to construct in Suprudo used an anaerobic waste treatment process, which passively degrades and treats organic waste with microorganisms, converting it into usable water and gases with natural fertilizer (compost) as a byproduct. This kind of “low” technology plays into the concept of circular economy through its valorization of waste, while requiring minimal intervention and resources to be implemented.

Following a Sustainability-Centric Curriculum in Lyon, France

For the Spring semester of my junior year, I had a very different international experience studying at the Polytechnical University, INSA Lyon, in France as part of the Engineering Education Exchange (GE3) program. Through this experience, I witnessed the implementation of innovative infrastructure solutions from a mainly urban perspective. From a cultural point of view, being the only American exchange student and taking masters-level engineering courses in French allowed for an incredibly immersive experience.  

In terms of academics, one of the first things I noticed was the emphasis on sustainability in my courses. Each course implemented circular economy concepts and stressed the importance of minimizing environmental impact in the long-term. Even exams for technical courses, such as Hydraulics, included questions about national French sustainability goals and policies. An emphasis on sustainability was also apparent throughout the city of Lyon itself, from the green infrastructure and bike-focused planning on campus, to the various re-development “eco quartiers” (“eco neighborhoods”) and community gardens across town.  

The high regard for sustainability was also evident in day-to-day life. For instance, food in glass containers in supermarkets would be less expensive than plastics. Also, all public garbage bins were separated by plastics, papers, organic waste, and glass. Car-culture in France, and most other European countries, is also much less prominent. In Lyon, and other large French cities, car-ownership is not too common. In fact, many of French friends had expressed the hassle they pose. This is due to both city planning and the existing transportation infrastructure. Highways and major roadways are situated along the city’s perimeter, while the city itself is made up of smaller roads, integrated bike paths, and is ultimately dominated by pedestrians utilizing tram and bus lines. Additionally, there are many rapid passenger trains connecting major cities across Europe, allowing for highly accessible and efficient intercity travel.  

During my semester abroad, I was further exposed to other cultures through my travels and the friends I made. In Lyon, I was part of a large community of other international students, primarily from other European countries. Being the only exchange student from the US during that semester allowed me to be constantly exposed to different perspectives and cultural norms. Over the course of those 6 months, I met so many interesting people from all over the world, and cultivated friendships that I’m confident will last a lifetime. Although it was interesting to discuss how our ways of life and beliefs differ, it was especially insightful to discover how much I had in common with people with completely different backgrounds. 

Being immersed into a completely new environment without any familiar faces prompted a period of tremendous growth. Learning how to live in a different country completely on my own forced me to develop a greater sense of self-reliance. Without many orientation integration events hosted by the university, I was ultimately left to my own devices to meet people and make new friends. Therefore, I had no choice but to take initiative and put myself out there socially as much as possible. Coming from a tight-knit community like UP where I had spent the last two years building relationships with my peers, starting from scratch felt a bit uncomfortable and even intimidating at the start. However, pushing through the discomfort was incredibly rewarding – by the end of the semester I had built a community I felt like I was truly a part of, and boosted my confidence in myself and my ability to create a home wherever I may find myself.

Conclusion 

Each of these experiences has had a profound impact both on my personal identity and my professional endeavors. 

Suprudo opened my eyes to the inequities faced by communities in the developing world and the tenacity of people living in difficult situations, like Abraham. His story is a constant reminder that privilege often shapes our paths more than we realize. It also demonstrated the life-changing potential of engineering infrastructure solutions as well as the power of sustainable, context-specific design. 

Lyon, with its bike-filled streets and emphasis on sustainability, served as an example of a society that integrates eco-consciousness into everyday life. This experience taught me that sustainability is a collective effort, representing a culmination of choices within a society, both on large and small scales. I was inspired by the measures employed within the planning and overall structure of the city that aim to build a more sustainable urban ecosystem. Living amidst a wide range of global perspectives in Lyon, I also discovered the beauty of shared humanity thus growing my appreciation for diversity.

As I stand on the cusp of my engineering career, I'm driven by the lessons I’ve learned from the distinct experiences I had in Suprudo and Lyon. I’ve been instilled with a deep understanding of the importance of equity, sustainability, and cultural-awareness in design.

Multi-culturalism and Grand Challenges  

Addressing the grand challenges is a global movement, with far-reaching impacts. Moreover, the challenge of restoring and improving urban infrastructure is an incredibly context-specific endeavor, which requires taking into account various social, environmental, and cultural perspectives in order to provide the maximum benefit. Observing infrastructure implementation approaches across diverse contexts and the associated social and environmental impacts has been foundational in my understanding of this grand challenge and how to address it through my career.