Mentored undergraduate research in global contexts: outcomes of a collaborative Euro-U.S. program focused on water-related sustainability issues confronting the Danube delta

Abstract This interview-based research study utilizes a phenomenological lens to explore student (n = 8) and faculty (n = 6) experiences associated with an international undergraduate research program named CHANCE. This program ran for three years (2021–2023) in Romania and focused on water issues confronting the Danube Delta according to the EU Water Framework Directive and Danube River Basin Management Plan and combined undergraduate research (UR) experiences and global learning utilizing a multi-faceted mentoring model. The qualitative coding process revealed that the distinctive form of social learning, among and between faculty and students, contributes to the perceived acquisition of scientific and essential workforce skills, career identity, and advocacy for environmental protection for students and personal fulfillment and pedagogical enrichment for faculty. The findings suggest insights into how new modes of collaborative, transdisciplinary, and applied knowledge can be integrated into the higher education curriculum.