Global Learning on a Local Level: The International Field Program
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For two months every summer, scores of students from the Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs (GPIA) at The New School for Public Engagement travel the world over as part of the International Field Program (IFP). The IFP, which is a centerpiece of many students’ GPIA experiences, is far more than a brief visit to another country; it’s a hands-on experience in global development.
“Our IFP is unique in that it offers intensive pre-departure preparation, onsite academic seminars, professional internships, and long-term projects with faculty supervision,” said Fabiola Berdiel, assistant director for International Field Programs.
Students in the IFP work closely with local organizations, city and state governments, and international NGO’s. The more than 660 students who have participated in the IFP have undertaken projects ranging from monitoring water quality in Buenos Ares, education reform in Cape Town, and researching human rights and migration in Hong Kong.
“I love the country, and I take my experience […] very seriously,” said Clarissa Cummings, who traveled to South Africa in 2012. “IFP is not a two-month experience—it’s ongoing.”
The 2013 IFP offers Argentina, Colombia, the Balkans, Uganda, South Africa, and Turkey. To learn more, visit www.newschool.edu/public-engagement/milano-school-international-field-program/.