Internships Abroad, Virtual Internships Abroad Humanities and Social Sciences Student Highlights

December 13, 2020
By Erin Feeney, Penn Abroad Graduate Assistant

Global experiences in the fields of humanities and social sciences can provide key opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience and apply their knowledge and skills in a new context. Through the Global Research & Internship Program (GRIP), Penn students from across schools have spent the summer abroad taking on exciting research projects and professional opportunities. Let’s explore the past experiences of GRIP participants within the fields of humanities and social sciences to gain insight into the student experience abroad and how Penn students can make the most of these opportunities.

Language Exposure

For Nikhil Gupta (Huntsman ‘22), an internship with Almado, a social impact consulting firm in Argentina, was the perfect opportunity to pursue his professional interests and strengthen his Spanish language skills. The opportunity fulfilled his desire to gain professional experience in Latin America while working at the intersection of the public and private sectors. “My internship at Almado has been so rewarding because of the company’s mission, flat organizational structure, and abundance of employees who take hours of their time to mentor me,” he writes. “Even though Buenos Aires is thousands of miles away, I know that I still had a truly global experience because it feels like I was there in person! I cannot wait to visit the Almado team in person as soon as possible.”

Nikhil Gupta
Nikhil Gupta (top right) on video call with colleagues
 

In Rabat, Morocco, Merry Gu (CAS '21) interned at Jossour Forum des Femmes Marocaines, a nonprofit with consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council that works to promote gender equality and women’s rights in Morocco and the Middle East North Africa region. Merry writes that at Jossour FFM, almost everyone is fluent in two to three languages, Darija, French, and English. “Working in a multilingual environment has been an absolute treat,” she writes. “My time at Jossour FFM has left me with a deeper understanding of the linguistic barriers and advantages in the field of foreign service and international relations, and a renewed desire to improve my second and third languages and to pick up others as much as possible.”

Refining Professional Interests

In Amman, Jordan, international relations major Brittany Shore (CAS '21) worked with Generations for Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through a variety of methods in order to maintain and create peace in their communities at a grassroots level through sport, arts, advocacy, and dialogue. The experience allowed Brittany to gain hands-on experience in the fields of international affairs, human rights, and security, through which she attests to learning more than she ever could have in a traditional classroom. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I want to keep fighting for the stability and safety of others,” she writes. 

During Jason Wu’s (CAS ‘22) summer internship with Manna Project International in Ecuador, his main projects involved developing a new curriculum for adult English classes and drafting proposals for new Health and Livelihood programs including a community clean-up initiative, a teen drug/alcohol abuse prevention seminar, and a sex education program. Outside of these projects, Jason maintained a language exchange with a partner in Ecuador and attended professional development workshops hosted by Manna. The internship's virtual format offered both flexibility and immersion, allowing Jason to grow and refine his professional interests. 

Academic Overlap

Political science major Mercedes Chavez (CAS '21) interned at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. The experience complemented her academic studies by allowing her to learn more about American foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region. She conducted research on social security, a topic she had studied in her public policy class at Penn. Her op-ed on social security retirement benefits in the US and the equivalency in Australia was published on the USSC website. She also had the opportunity to sit-in on research events on the topic of foreign political theory. Outside of work, some highlights of her summer in Australia included seeing an opera at the Sydney Opera House and completing her first hike.

GRIP Logo

The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce. Placements and funding awards are available.