Program Reviews

This program had a great blend of getting to know Vietnam and learning about a research topic. There was plenty of support from faculty and coordinators. I learned a lot and had a great time! I worked with a university in Vietnam and a local student. This gave me a unique perspective I did not have in the past. It was a great experience to work with the university and the student.

Overall, I would recommend this experience to other students. At the end of the rotation, I could present a PowerPoint on a topic of interest that I worked on during the last two weeks of the process. I received ample support and feedback on this assignment.

This Field Intensive is a study course by NYU's Center for Global Affairs with the Rwanda travels run by GEI, specifically their Kigali office. The program consisted of 6 class sessions taught in New York, and then a 10-day trip to Rwanda, with meetings and site visits in and around Kigali, ending with a safari at Akagera National Park.

GEI runs the program expertly, setting up topically appropriate meetings with officials, NGOs, and experts, and taking the NYU students to site visits in Kigali and surrounding areas. GEI manages all the in-country travel, meals, and hotels expertly and efficiently. The program is well-led by the director of their Kigali office.

I have run more than 6 programs in Rwanda for students and faculty using GEI, and every one of them was a success because of their work. GEI knows the country exceptionally well and has creative ideas for things to include in the itinerary. They have opened doors for us, and gone out of their way to open doors they hadn't opened before. Plus, they know all the best restaurants and work with the restaurants to accommodate the group. They also work within our budget for guides, hotels, restaurants, ground transportation and other things to support the program. GEI staff are all professional and friendly, and are willing to work hard for demanding groups amid schedule changes and unforeseen events. Yvan and Francoise are awesome! GEI will not disappoint you.

In 2018, a colleague and I led a Jan term course to Vietnam and Cambodia. This was a service learning/experiential learning course in collaboration with Global Engagement Institute (GEI). During the Jan term course, students collected data for a partner NGO of GEI in San Francisco. Vietnam has a high prevalence of anemia and malnutrition in children living in rural communities. During the Jan term course, we visited five different schools and collected data on 130 children. The data collected included: measuring hemoglobin, height, weight and body mass index of the children. The students had an amazing experience. GEI provided us with a guide who was exceptional in introducing us to the culture and arranging all the site visits. In addition to the service learning, we also had the opportunity to have lunch with a local family, visit some hospitals, museums and learn more about the Vietnam war and visit some amazing sites such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

This is a good program for students who want to experience working with foreign students. This program is helpful for students to understand clearly about teamworking, presenting skills. It also help students improve knowlegde about a specific topic. It is a wonderful chance to make friend with foreigner and practice english. My partner is so cute and she supported me too much during working. I had a wonderful time to experience this project because I can update my knowledge about breastfeeding and understand how to make a paper.

I had a wonderful 4-week time working with GEI and my partner. During the working process, I always receive supports and do not have any time constraints because of the flexible time management of the coordinator. Besides, the program is also very meaningful with many activities that contribute to the community. It is also an opportunity to exchange with people from many other countries, as a way to internationalize social issues. Especially after this program, I am happy to have a great partner, great teamwork experience with her. I am so grateful to join in this activity.

This progamme help me a lot to step out the comfort zone. I really appreciate the meeting with friend i work with from others uni. Great time for learning and experiencing the new thing ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

This was a wonderful online program. Despite often having meetings with people from up to four countries on the call, we never had to be on zoom at a time that isn’t in the normal work day hours. I was assigned a local intern as my partner which made the experience so much more like an actual study/intern abroad experience because I was able to learn more about the culture and language directly from him. I would highly recommend this program for anyone looking for a suitable substitution for going abroad, or anyone searching for a way to get professional experience in a unique and engaging way.

I had a great time throughout this internship period. The experience is topnotch, I enjoyed working collaboratively with my colleague and learned a lot from her perspectives and viewpoints. Also, I learned a lot from the entire research process, the process is even more practical than I expected since it was virtual. The guidance and support from the preceptors are tremendous and commendable. The skills and knowledge acquired from this internship will help me grow as a global public health leader.

I have never forgotten the time 4 weeks when I contacted with GEI, Dr. Bao and especially my lovely partner in America - Breanna. I'm just a freshmen in CTUMP and I just start to study many new things in a new environment. The first time when I knew I passed the CV to become a member in Virtual Internship. I felt so happy but I was still a bit worried about whether I could actually complete the program or not. Thanks for everyone supporting me, I was able to do my 4 weeks well. The Virtual Internship has brought me a lot of experience and is an unforgettable turning point in my student life.