In London and Milan, engineering students get in-depth look at tech field
UIC students interested in the fast-growing field of biomedical and artificial intelligence technology recently spent several weeks in England and Italy to learn firsthand from leading innovators in the field, including UIC alums.
During the two-and-a-half-week study abroad program in June, the 10 students even saw Prince William, the British Prime Minister and London’s mayor speak at London Tech Week, a conference for tech entrepreneurs.
Carolena Garcia, a third-year biomedical engineering student, said the program helped her envision working abroad. She and other students spoke with UIC alums who work in Milan to learn about their experiences.
“Before this trip, I never would’ve imagined myself wanting to work or study in a different country. It always seemed unattainable to me,” said Garcia. “After hearing from all the people we met and learning about the opportunities that are offered, I realized that moving to a different country is doable.”
Jam-packed program
Clinical professor Hananeh Esmailbeigi organized and led the program for the College of Engineering and the UIC Study Abroad Office. The “jam-packed” program, in its second year, gave students six credit hours, said Esmailbeigi.
“I wanted them to come back thinking about the fact that entrepreneurs have different stories, but their most important characteristic is knowing how to pivot,” said Esmailbeigi, who also directs industry and alumni engagement in the department of biomedical engineering. “Every time you encounter a problem, you can use your creativity and find a different solution, which was something that was reinforced throughout.”
At London Tech Week, students heard from industry leaders and the country’s leadership about artificial intelligence, its applications in healthcare and the future job market.
They also met with people from leading artificial intelligence companies and startups to gain insight into the evolving AI landscape. The highlight for some was getting to see Prince William, whose speech challenged the tech industry to help prevent homelessness by making data available to service providers and using technology to help detect early risk factors leading to homelessness.
The group also visited Imperial College in London and Cambridge University, where they attended presentations by engineering students of their capstone work. And they visited major companies in London, including LinkedIn, and companies working on wearable technology and e-textiles — digital components embedded in fabrics. They visited Cambridge Glasshouse, an “incubator” where several startups, such as Parkinson’s medical device company Charco Neurotech, are being developed.
Over to Italy
After England, the group traveled to Milan, Italy, where they were hosted by the Moon Rabbit Lab, a startup that integrates computational design and AI to create high-performance footwear.
Design was also part of the itinerary. In Milan, a fashion capital of the world, the students attended a jewelry-making workshop where they learned to make wearable tech. They also toured and met with representatives of Armani, the famed Italian fashion design house.
In addition, they visited a smartwatch startup that’s developing seizure-detection technology, Politecnico di Milano where they learned from a leading biomedical engineering researcher, and an immersive rehabilitation hospital for children where they saw how prosthetics are fitted to children and toured a playground outfitted with sensors to monitor children as they play.
“They showed us how they make it a playful experience for kids needing rehabilitation due to complications,” said Esmailbeigi.
What students learned
Garcia participated in the study abroad program after recently changing her major to biomedical engineering. Now her career goal is to design medical devices, she said.
“I saw that this course teaches about medical wearable devices, which was perfect for me, and also entrepreneurship,” said Garcia.
Tiffani Curry, a fourth-year biomedical engineering student, said the trip exceeded her expectations. A highlight was connecting with innovators, especially Lucy Jung, a Cambridge engineer who shared her story about creating and securing funding for the Charco Neurotech startup.
Another important moment for Curry was touring the children’s rehabilitation hospital with Dr. Giuseppe Andreoni, the director of technology and design for healthcare who developed the playground that gathers biometric data from the children playing there.
“As a student who has conducted research at UIC, I have always understood that our work has the potential to improve lives; however, in the laboratory, that impact often feels distant,” said Curry. “I could never have predicted that I would meet such supportive peers while also learning from some of the most accomplished innovators and engineers in the world.”
The group met up with several UIC computer science and biomedical engineering alums currently working in Italy and learned how they ended up in Europe.
Fourth-year biomedical engineering student Alexis Willhite said learning about their career paths helped her better understand how the biomedical industry works and the variety of research niches within it.
“This has inspired me to explore different areas and career paths for my future,” said Willhite. “The cultural aspect of studying abroad has been life-changing for me because I have been able to connect with many people around the world.”
