Dear all,
It’s wonderful to be back in Iowa after a great week in Singapore to promote and build internship programs for Iowa students. We traveled to Singapore at the invitation of one of our key study abroad providers, Council of International Educational Exchange (CIEE) to attend CIEE’s Global Internship Conference. CIEE has been a strong partner of the UI for decades, and the invitation came in part because of our study abroad team’s immensely successful record in placing students in life-changing internships all over the world. Our Assistant Director of Study Abroad, Internships, Monica Ernberger, joined me on the trip, and it is in large part due to her efforts and that of the study abroad team overall, that we were invited to the conference.
Iowa sent students to Singapore both this year and last, with the country offering a favorable environment for students interested in business and tech fields, especially. More broadly, internships have become more popular in recent years, due to the practical experience they bring for students interested in careers and high impact experiences abroad. A global internship involves intensive advising and preparation. Depending on their profiles, students are matched with private companies, non-profits, educational institutions, and governmental agencies to gain workforce experience that will, in many cases, provide career advancement opportunities. It was a delight to connect with colleagues from around the globe to discuss ways to bolster internship programming and to encourage wider participation among our students. Similarly, I was privileged to be part of the conference's closing plenary where I joined prominent figures from the media, NGO, and corporate sectors to talk about how internships will play an increasingly important role in global education.
We closed out the trip with a visit to our partners at Singapore Management University (SMU). You may remember that Catherine Chong from SMU's Office of Industry Engagement gave a keynote presentation at our Provost’s Global Forum this past February. As a follow up to her time in Iowa, we connected with Catherine and her team at SMU to discuss ways of building our collaboration. SMU has helped us with internship opportunities for UI students in the past, and we plan to involve them in such initiatives in the future. Likewise, there may be occasions where Iowa students could participate in conventional study abroad programs where SMU serves as the institution of record. This visit was productive on many levels, and we hope to build on our connections in Singapore in the years ahead.
The month of June was also highlighted by the visit of Anant Chakradeo, Group Provost for the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT). Anant formerly served as my counterpart at the MIT campus of Art, Design, and Technology (ADT) in Pune, where an Iowa delegation visited in March. He has since been promoted to provost of all the MIT universities across India. Anant has visited Iowa three times in the past five years, underscoring the fact that MIT sees Iowa as a key U.S. partner. The purpose of his visit last month was to discuss his new position and the additional opportunities it provides to Iowa faculty and students across the subcontinent. While MIT-ADT Pune remains our chief partner school in India, we are excited about the possibility of expanding our collaboration within the MIT system to include the health sciences, the humanities, and other disciplines. India is one of five countries (the others being Japan, South Africa, Romania, and Uruguay) International Programs has prioritized for future program development. Having access to the greater MIT network will mean more opportunities to build on what is already a strong connection.
It is through your friendship and generous attention that we can build these bridges to the world, so please accept our thanks for supporting IP in all its endeavors.
With all best wishes,
Russ
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.