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Assignment Abroad
From Argentina to Israel, students explore cultures around the world in quest for global citizenship
Life-changing. Transformative. Inspiring. These are the dramatic descriptions that often excitedly tumble forth when students return from study abroad, says Dr. Terri Givens, vice provost and associate professor of government, who oversees the university's International Office.
Ready to learn more about Liberal Arts students who have traveled far and wide in their quest for global citizenship? You won't need your passport for this jaunt around the globe.
Loans that Change Lives
Student: Anjali Mohan
Major: Plan II/Government/Economics
Destination: Córdoba, Argentina
Program: Internship at Banco de la Mujer ("Women's Bank")
Imagine trying to live your life without credit cards or loans. Credit enables people to buy a car, or pay college tuition, and many people rely on credit cards to cover bills when times are tough.
But what if you didn't have access to credit? That's the reality for the world's poorest citizens, explains Anjali Mohan, a senior Plan II, government and economics major in the College of Liberal Arts who interned at Banco de la Mujer ("Women's Bank") in Córdoba, Argentina last summer.
"Banco de la Mujer offered me the opportunity to help women expand their market power in Argentina, a country that is still recovering from a devastating economic crisis," Mohan says. "It's the entrepreneurs in the informal sector that are helping to revitalize the economy."
As a non-profit, microfinance organization, Banco de la Mujer provides small loans to the poor without requiring collateral. Loans typically range from $50 to $250 and are payable in three to six months. The majority of borrowers are women who use the funds for small businesses and to improve their family's standard of living.
Mohan was responsible for financial analysis and reporting, and she learned about the entire microfinance process, from evaluating loan applicants and guarantors to establishing repayment schedules and appraising businesses' viability. During her internship, she also traveled to rural areas with the bank's credit officers to meet one-on-one with some of the entrepreneurs.
"I was impressed by their business savvy," Mohan says. "I met one woman who was living with her family in a very humble situation: a one-room cinderblock home with a dirt floor. But once a month she would travel to Buenos Aires to buy the latest fashions and come back to her hometown and sell them at marked-up prices. She knew what she needed to do to make a profit. Despite her husband's doubts, the microcredit program enabled her to increase her inventory capacity and expand her business."
Mohan says the most challenging aspect of the internship was the language barrier.
"I learned how to use financial reporting software in Spanish and technical banking terms that I had never been taught in Spanish class," Mohan says. "At first it was a little overwhelming, but after a few weeks I found my footing and became more comfortable."
Ultimately, Mohan says the experience changed the way she views poverty in the United States.
"Microcredit is an economic solution that transcends borders," Mohan says. "After witnessing Banco de la Mujer's success in Argentina, I'm looking at ways we can bolster the informal business sector and help people climb out of poverty here at home."
Dateline: Jerusalem
Student: Ilana Diamond
Major: Middle Eastern Studies/Journalism
Destination: Jerusalem, Israel
Program: Internship at The Jerusalem Post
U.S. State Department travel warnings didn't faze Middle Eastern studies major Ilana Diamond from pursuing her dream internship: a reporting gig at The Jerusalem Post aided by the Jewish Agency for Israel.
During the summer of 2007, the 19-year-old sophomore covered entertainment news, culture and politics for Israel's top English-language daily newspaper.
"I hadn't taken any journalism writing classes prior to my internship, but news editor Amir Mizroch took me under his wing and helped me get up to speed," Diamond says.
Diamond published 15 stories under her byline, including a cover page feature, "Zip to east J'lem to get latest Harry Potter," on the July 21 release of the final book in J.K. Rowling's popular series.
"Because the book's release date fell on shabbat, Judaism's weekly day of rest, all the Jerusalem bookstores were closed," Diamond explains. "The labor minister threatened to fine any store in the country that planned to sell 'The Deathly Hallows' on the holy day, because technically it's illegal."
The only place in Jerusalem where the Harry Potter book was available was the Muslim-owned bookstore, Educational Books. Diamond crossed the cultural divide and traveled to East Jerusalem to interview the owner.
Another of Diamond's favorite stories was a July piece, "Mac, meet Israel," where she investigated why technical support for Apple computers is sparse in Israel.
"A lot of people have Apple products in Israel, but it is almost impossible to find someone who can fix a broken iPod or MacBook," Diamond says. "A few companies, such as Double You and Yeda have been working with Apple to make its products and tech support more accessible in Israel, but progress is slow."
When she wasn't reporting for The Jerusalem Post, Diamond traveled to historic sites and went on educational excursions with fellow participants in the Jewish Agency's professional internship program.
According to Diamond, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rarely touched her daily life. Her advice to students considering study abroad opportunities in the Middle East is: go for it.
"The media sensationalizes the conflict and what you see on television isn't the everyday reality," she says. "My internship experience solidified my goal to work in the field of international journalism. I can't wait to go back."