This paper discusses the importance of an
engineering systems approach to international
bioengineering education and how a new educationalresearch
program, the MIT-Portugal Program
Bioengineering Systems focus area, aims to develop
future global bioengineering leaders. The program,
comprising both post-graduate advanced studies and
doctoral programs, commences in September 2007.
Several other international-collaborative educational and
research programs—such as the Cambridge-MIT
Institute, the Singapore MIT Alliance, and the
Socrates/Erasmus “Erasmus Programme”—offer lessons
learned in international collaboration. The MPP
Bioengineering Systems program differs from these
programs in several respects. The unique collaboration in
MPP offers an engineering systems approach, a joint
degree offered by three Portuguese universities, and
collaborative teaching and research efforts between MIT
and Portuguese faculty and students