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GEI - Global Engagement Institute

Global Engagement Institute

4.9 Rating
67 reviews
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Why choose Global Engagement Institute?

GEI is a private institute offering transformative education and engagement programs for international students and professionals in Africa and Southeast Asia. Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals and institutions to apply their passion and skills to create positive change in the world.

Through our diverse study abroad, internship, and global engagement programs, we provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities that foster key competencies for global change leaders. Our programs are designed to complement higher education and professional development, equipping participants with the skills needed to drive meaningful impact across borders and disciplines.

Expanding Program Portfolio

Website
www.global-engagement.org
Founded
2006

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  • Go Overseas Award

Impact 🌎

GEI’s work explicitly supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan of action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. At its core, it focuses on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of critical importance for humanity and the planet. We share the 2030 Agenda’s vision of a sustainable world – a world where all people can live productive, vibrant and peaceful lives on a healthy planet. Our purpose is to unleash the catalytic impact of international education, engagement, and exchange to address key challenges set out by the SDGs. To do so, we blend research, education, training, and innovative practical solutions that support transformations toward sustainability.

Reviews

Benjamin
Male
United States
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
GEI Study Abroad: Global Health

GEI Global Health Thailand 2026

Sep 14, 2026

I really liked my experience with GEI. I thought Chone and Waleed were amazing! They taught us so much. They were so kind and great with each of us.
I think the program was run pretty well, but the expectation of what the program would be like were confusing. It would be really helpful to have better expectations going into the program. But I think that comes with being the first group.
I loved all the cool experiences. Chone really made the trip. Without him I'm not sure who good the trip would have been.

What was your funniest moment?
Waleed's humor!
Pros
  • Culturally emersed with a great local guide.
  • A varitey of different experiences.
  • Get to meet many local leaders and business owners.
What other participants should know
  • Confused initial expectations
  • Hard to see the meaning of what we were doing until the end
  • idk
Phuoc
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
GEI Internships: Clinical Placements

First time in Vietnam & study abroad experience

Jul 12, 2026

My 4 weeks at a Vietnam hospital was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had as a fourth-year medical student. The kindness and hospitality from the host, Vietnamese doctors, and medical students made me feel welcomed and part of the team from day one. I was able to see and learn about medical conditions and cases that are not commonly encountered in the United States which helped broaden my understanding of medicine and patient care. Beyond the clinical experience, I was able to build lasting relationships, make valuable connections, and form genuine friendships with people who shared the same passion for medicine. The program was extremely well organized and made the entire process easy, from setting up the visa to providing a safe and comfortable homestay. I never felt worried about my safety and was able to fully enjoy the experience because everything was taken care of. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I would rate 10/10 and I would gladly do it all over again.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
One of the most unfamiliar foods I tried was balut. Although it was outside of my comfort zone at first, it was a memorable experience and gave me a better appreciation for Vietnamese culture and traditions.
Pros
  • Excellent hospitality and support
  • Unique clinical learning opportunities
  • Well-organized program
What other participants should know
  • language barrier at times with the locals
  • short duration (4 weeks isn't enough! I wish I had more)
  • Weather (hot and humid!)
Lydia
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
GEI Internships: Clinical Placements

Amazing Experience

Jun 28, 2026

I had a wonderful time on my clinical rotation. We were given instructions on what we would need for our time in Vietnam. We were greeted at the airport and shown around the city to help us get acclimated. During our time, we had the privilege of learning from the medical staff at the hospital. I cannot emphasize their kindness and generosity in helping us feel safe and welcomed. We learned a lot but also were able to spend time in the local community trying local experiences and cuisine! I would highly recommend this experience.

Michelle
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
GEI Internships: Clinical Placements

Review

Jun 21, 2026

My medical student rotation in Vietnam was an incredible experience. A large part of that was due to how smoothly everything was organized from beginning to end. The logistics were seamless throughout the entire process, making it easy to focus on learning and enjoying the experience.

The coordinators were exceptionally responsive, approachable, and easy to reach at all times. Whenever my group had questions about contacting our preceptors at the host university, navigating the city, recommendations for local attractions, travel opportunities outside of rotation hours, or trying authentic Vietnamese cuisine, they were always available and eager to help.

The host university we worked with was filled with some of the kindest and most welcoming people I have ever met. The faculty and students were very open to international visitors and showed a genuine interest in exchanging knowledge, clinical skills, and cultural perspectives. The environment was collaborative, engaging, and made us feel truly included.

Beyond the educational experience, I was fortunate to build meaningful friendships with students and colleagues from abroad. The connections and the experiences I made during this rotation will stay with me for years to come. I would highly recommend this program to any medical student seeking both professional growth and cultural immersion.

Shoun
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
GEI Faculty-Led Programs: Africa & Southeast Asia

GEI I'm already looking into using them again!

Jan 21, 2026

I did not rate the academics part because my program was non-traditional. It was work focused, meaning the students I took to Vietnam were to use the trip as their first assignment as working photojournalist and GEI really made that work. At the last second, a university we had partnered with the year before, pull out, but GEI had another university ready and willing to partner with us. What really stood out, was a student had a medical emergency, and Thuy who was on the ground with us and Jonathan, were INCREDIBLE!!! Thuy got us to a local hospital then an ambulance to Ho Chi Minh City, while Jonathan handled everything with the insurance and the hospital in Ho Chi Minh. They made the experience less stressful with their professionalism.

This was my second trip with GEI and I'm now looking at them for a trip to Ghana I loved working with them that much!!

Pros
  • Professionalism
  • Organization
  • People
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Programs

Displaying 1 - 9 of 9

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Cody Ritz

Program
GEI Study Abroad: Sustainable Development
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Why did you choose this program?

At the start of the Fall 2017 semester, I knew that I wanted to find some opportunity to travel abroad for a program related to healthcare for the following summer. Upon hearing about the Rwanda Global Health Internship offered at BYU, I immediately felt strongly that it would be a perfect opportunity for me to enhance my world perspective by getting to experience healthcare through a culture outside of America.

I had the privilege of connecting with various immigrants from Rwanda during my time as a missionary in Montréal, Canada, and hearing about this internship opportunity reignited the connection I felt with them. It also fueled a desire to do everything in my capabilities to pursue this opportunity. It just felt right to me.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Brigham Young University helped me feel well-prepared for the internship. They gave me some good expectations of what I would be doing, and they also relieved the stress of logistically planning an international trip. The Global Engagement Institute, our program provider, did everything in their power to ensure that I would get the most out of my Rwandan experience. They were extremely accommodating and taught me to really embrace the culture of Rwanda. In addition, they gave me some great opportunities to interact with health professionals of various backgrounds.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would advise anyone considering this internship to spend as much time as you can learning about Rwanda BEFORE you arrive. Rwanda has a unique history and culture, and the more you know about the country's context, the better prepared you will be to facilitate positive interactions with the locals. They enjoy guests who come to visit their country and appreciate when you show genuine interest and knowledge of their culture.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

IPC is an important acronym to know as most of our days revolve entirely around it. It stands for Infection Prevention/Control. Here’s what one day could look like during the week:

We wake up at 6:30 AM and get ready for the day. We do some laundry if it needs done, and we eat the breakfast provided for us. We start walking to the health center around 8:30 AM and get there close to 9 AM. From there, we attend a health education course that is held for patients or anyone else in the community on topics such as HIV/AIDS, other communicable diseases, and health insurance.

After the course is done with, we usually start to focus on the Infection Prevention/Control assignment for the day. This could include observation/interaction with healthcare workers and patients or meetings with the clinical directors. We work until lunch which is usually around noon at the local women’s center.

After lunch, we spend some time discussing our findings from the morning, and we talk about ways to help the health center improve their IPC efforts. After that, we continue working on the different presentations and reports we have for the next few days. We usually end the day around 4 PM.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was being able to connect with the locals. I had spent some time with Rwandans before, but I had never been to their country. This gave me a great bit of uncertainty, and this carried over until we got there. Once we arrived, our coordinators from the Global Engagement Institute really helped us feel comfortable. We were given cultural background and advice from different members of GEI which allowed us to understand the environment in which we would be working.

It takes a continual effort to step outside of your comfort zone, but when you do it, you start to learn and grow in completely new ways.

How did you manage all of the expenses for your internship?

Evidently, traveling abroad is an expensive endeavor. Brigham Young University did a great job at informing me of the many ways in which I could seek help to fund my international experience. I applied to numerous scholarships on both the university and national level. I received funding from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and BYU ISP Scholarship. The help I received from these programs alleviated much of the financial burden for my internship. I strongly believe that no student should ever avoid traveling abroad simply because of finances. There are plenty of resources out there just waiting to help you achieve your goals; you just have to get out there and find them!

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Eric Kingoina

Program
GEI Internships: Career-Aligned Placements
Job Title
Operations Manager - East Africa
Eric was born in a small town called Kisii, in the south Nyanza province and moved to Nairobi for his studies. He majored in computer science at the University of Nairobi but fell in love with his passion for travelling and meeting new people. As a result, he now works for an organization that helps to create easy and memorable trips for its participants. Eric is a very patient and joyful person that many people call "the fixer" as he fixes real issues in real time. Eric believes in hard work and nothing but hard work.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Standing at Airport

I have travelled a lot, especially in East Africa, which means I know my neighboring countries very well and how to work with them diligently. There are a million plus nice memories but let me choose one; when we visited Zanzibar to explore food security in Africa and learnt how various NGO’s are helping to teach farmers modern ways of productive farming.

Many people do visit Zanzibar’s beautiful beaches but they do not know what common villagers or farmers undergo to have at least one meal on the table.

Most of them eat a single dish (rice) for the whole week, sometimes the month. With the introduction of this kind of farming they can not only have 3 meals a day, but have a balanced diet of fish, chicken, beef and vegetables.

At first, when I was doing the interpreting it was so emotional I could barely hold myself together because of how these stories moved me.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I am very grateful to GEI because this is where I have been nurtured and molded to be who I am today with my wonderful family. Our vision is a major inspiration that impacts our lives and those who work closely with us.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Working with students always has its entertaining stories. We once gave a student an assignment to buy some items in town to teach them how to handle situations on their own. After the student became tired he sat on a popular spot mostly used by beggars and this was so funny to all of us.

The experience of having to work so hard to find common items made the student go back home and develop an app which can help Africans to know where exactly to find items instead of traveling endlessly to find those everyday items.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would like to take part in the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program so that I can learn how this actually works since I love babies so much. I can envision myself then being able to actively lead a program and let others learn to save lives as well.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

There are so many companies out there, but our company is especially results-oriented. We achieve our results by acting as a bridge linking various people together to teach and learn two or three things from each other, thus impacting their lives in the best way possible by inspiring them.

We are also the best at fixing logistical challenges thus making your trip with us the most memorable one, at all times. Each delegation offers me a unique experience with different guests and I learn a lot from each group that I deal with.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Working closely with each other in the most trustworthy and transparent manner possible. In addition, it is important to have different staff from different backgrounds as they can contribute their varied experience to the company.

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