GEI Faculty-Led Programs: Africa & Southeast Asia

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!!

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.