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The escalating complexity of global challenges demands a collaborative approach in scientific research that leverages diverse expertise, cultural backgrounds, and disciplines. This paper investigates communication barriers within multicultural engineering education research teams, emphasizing competent communication in fostering effective collaboration and innovation. Using Thompson's Collective Communication Competence (CCC) Model, this study explores engineering students’ experiences in a multicultural engineering education research project, aiming to identify specific challenges that hinder competent communication and propose actionable strategies for improvement. Through qualitative interviews and content analysis, the research highlights challenges in comprehensibility, team bonding, and navigating diverse disciplinary languages and cultural norms. The findings advocate for proactive measures such as early training in common language establishment, trust-building activities, and engaged reflexivity to enhance communication dynamics within multicultural research teams.