Lessons learned from an international cross-disciplinary engineering collaboration: a case study of the Educado project

Since 2018, the "SDG Challenge", collaboration between Aalborg University (AAU) and the University of Brasilia (UnB), includes the project Educado, a platform designed to provide education and information for waste pickers, a group of workers who lack access to such resources. This project originated due to the shutdown of the largest dump site in Latin America in 2018, shifting the traditional income source for the waste pickers to a structured recycling cooperative system. In this multifaceted project, the ambition is helping the former waste pickers improve their quality of life, by enhancing their current work conditions and providing resources for further education. This paper presents the reflections and lessons learned from over four years of collaboration, focused on the challenges encountered and the solutions developed. Educado is a complex and unique collaboration between students from: Production Engineering, Product and Design Psychology, Cyber, Software, and Computer Engineering. Additionally, the project was run by a student-driven company named "SomethingNew" between 2020 and 2023. This paper discusses issues identified within the project, including the need to adjust for new students every semester, and carrying over conclusions between student groups. Secondly, managing an excess of teams working on the project, and difficulties in communication between teachers, supervisors, and students especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, general lessons learned within the collaboration are discussed. The main contribution of this paper is a framework of recommendations and methodologies for international crossdisciplinary engineering collaborations between universities, based on the experiences acquired. The lessons learned from this case study provide guidance for future collaborations and highlight the importance of collaboration, communication, and adaptability in achieving successful outcomes in cross-disciplinary engineering projects.