Master of global affairs students embark upon international field experiences

For master of global affairs students at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, summer offers a break from the classroom and a transition to an exciting new stage of the program: international field experiences.

Now that most pandemic-related travel restrictions have been lifted, 24 students in the Keough School’s Integration Lab (i-Lab) will conduct research in 14 countries: Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, the Netherlands, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Rwanda, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Through the i-Lab, students work in teams to address specific global challenges such as affordable housing or quality education through partnerships with global partner organizations. These partner organizations, which this year include Catholic Relief Services, Habitat for Humanity, Enseña Chile, the National League of Cities, USAID SHARE, and Oxfam America, provide on-site professional mentoring and also help students deepen their understanding of culture and history at their respective field sites.

Fifteen master of global affairs students will begin six-month internships for the program’s international peace studies concentration with organizations around the world including Catholic Relief Services, the Environmental Investigation Agency, the International Civil Society Action Network, Jesuit Refugee Services México, JP Morgan, the Nationalities Service Center, Owl & Panther, the Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative in Colombia, the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, Religions for Peace, Search for Common Ground Sri Lanka, Women’s Federation for World Peace International, and World Hunger Relief. 

“In the Master of Global Affairs program, we place a strong emphasis on hands-on experience,” said Becca Méndez, the program’s associate director. “Many students have extensive professional experience before coming to Notre Dame, and these field experiences allow students to gain additional exposure to high-impact global organizations focused on critical peacebuilding, policy, or development issues.” 

Students will be sharing their experiences and insights from the field throughout the summer at the Keough Insider blog. Please follow along! 

 


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