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Peer Advisors Share Experiences, Insights

Studying in another country transforms lives, changes perspectives on the world, and contributes to the development of well-rounded global citizens. Those who understand this best are those who have lived through the More »

The Hong Kong Skyline

Payne Finds New Perspectives in Hong Kong Internship

Matt Payne, a UW–Madison senior from Rochester, Minnesota, who is majoring in Chinese and economics, spent the summer of 2011 writing editorials and op-ed articles for The Wall Street Journal Asia editorial More »

Paul Kellner

Kellner Discovers Indonesia Through Luce Fellowship

UW–Madison alum Paul Kellner (M.S. ‘07, Life Sciences Communication) recently completed a year working in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a 2010-11 Luce Scholar. The Henry Luce Foundation created the year-long Luce Scholars Program More »

Steven Olikara meets with Matt Beyer (left)

Olikara Finding Badger Connections In China

Steven Olikara, a political science and environmental studies major from Brookfield, Wisconsin, has been traveling in China this summer, exploring Wisconsin connections and interests. Olikara, UW–Madison’s incoming senior class president, wants to More »

Dan Lawler

Internship in Malaysia is About ‘More than Just Working’

Dan Lawler, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, is currently working for Plexus Corp., based in Neenah, Wisconsin, as an international mechanical engineering intern in Penang, Malaysia. Lawler, who plans to graduate More »

Internship in D.C. Opens Door to Career

October 04, 2011   admin   No comments

For Megan Arendt, the Semester in International Affairs in Washington, D.C., delivered “an amazing internationally routed experience only a short plane ride from home” – an experience that also opened the door to a career in the nation’s capital.

Megan Arendt with Mia Farrow at Sullivan Honors

Megan Arendt with Mia Farrow at Sullivan Honors

“I interned at the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation during the fall semester of 2008 and was immediately introduced to the fast-paced international sphere by getting my birth certificated overnighted to me, a rushed passport, and joining a four-day staff trip to Jamaica to debrief on the Sullivan Summit in Tanzania that had just concluded.”

Organized by the UW–Madison Division of International Studies and offered each fall, the Semester in International Affairs program combines an internship with an international affairs focus—in an agency, corporation, non-profit or embassy—with regular seminars that feature prominent speakers and distinguished UW-Madison alumni working in professional, academic, and diplomatic fields related to international affairs.

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Peer Advisors Share Experiences, Insights

September 14, 2011   admin   No comments
ireland picture

Studying in another country transforms lives, changes perspectives on the world, and contributes to the development of well-rounded global citizens. Those who understand this best are those who have lived through the experiences.

At UW-Madison, many students who go abroad through International Academic Programs (IAP), part of the Division of International Studies. Upon return, some of these students share their experience and insights as IAP peer advisors.

Three peer advisors talk about their experiences for Wisconsin in the World.

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Payne Finds New Perspectives in Hong Kong Internship

August 30, 2011   admin   No comments
The Hong Kong Skyline

Matt Payne, a UW–Madison senior from Rochester, Minnesota, who is majoring in Chinese and economics, spent the summer of 2011 writing editorials and op-ed articles for The Wall Street Journal Asia editorial page in Hong Kong as a Robert Bartley Fellow. Previously, he was an opinion columnist at The Daily Cardinal, and currently is a contributor to the Journal’s Political Diary.

He talks about his experience for Wisconsin in the World:

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Kellner Discovers Indonesia Through Luce Fellowship

August 16, 2011   admin   No comments
Paul Kellner

UW–Madison alum Paul Kellner (M.S. ‘07, Life Sciences Communication) recently completed a year working in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a 2010-11 Luce Scholar.

The Henry Luce Foundation created the year-long Luce Scholars Program to increase awareness about Asia among potential leaders in American society who have had limited experience in the region and who might not otherwise have an opportunity to come to know Asia. The program is nationally competitive, with only 15 to 18 recipients chosen each year. Luce Scholars receive a stipend, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia.

At the time of his selection, Kellner was manager of the Care and Protection of Children in Crisis-Affected Countries Learning Network at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He also has worked for the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services’ International Health and Respiratory Disease Units, Scholastic, Inc.’s Community Affairs and Government Relations Department, and Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries. He has also consulted as a speechwriter and videographer/ producer for various mayoral and gubernatorial campaigns.

Kellner spent his Luce year in Jakarta as a researcher for the Indonesian Center for the Study of Law and Policy (PSHK), where, he says, “I have supported the drafting, implementation, and mapping of national laws and policies, including: a public health law concerning breast-feeding and milk formula advertising; an immigration bill that will redefine the concept of permanent residency; and the mapping of the national legal framework for child protection services.”

Recently, he talked about his experiences for Wisconsin in the World:

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Olikara Finding Badger Connections In China

August 04, 2011   admin   No comments
Steven Olikara meets with Matt Beyer (left)

Steven Olikara, a political science and environmental studies major from Brookfield, Wisconsin, has been traveling in China this summer, exploring Wisconsin connections and interests.

Olikara, UW–Madison’s incoming senior class president, wants to ramp up the university’s engagement of new alumni chapters abroad and facilitate a broader array of opportunities for students as they graduate.

“The most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, from energy security to climate change, will require cooperation between U.S. and China. I want to make sure University of Wisconsin students are at the forefront of leading solutions to these challenges. That’s why I think it’s so important that we understand how both societies operate and relate to each other,” he says.

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Internship in Malaysia is About ‘More than Just Working’

July 29, 2011   admin   1 Comment
Dan Lawler

Dan Lawler, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, is currently working for Plexus Corp., based in Neenah, Wisconsin, as an international mechanical engineering intern in Penang, Malaysia. Lawler, who plans to graduate in December 2011, began his internship in late May and will be working there until about the third week in August.

He reports on his experiences in a blog and agreed to talk about his internship for Wisconsin in the World:

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Dance Faculty, Students Get in Step with Brazil

July 27, 2011   admin   2 Comments

A group of Dance students and faculty from the University of Wisconsin–Madison traveled to Brazil this summer, to study dance alongside Brazilian peers and to perform at two-day festival in Rio de Janeiro.

This experience stems from an international exchange project that began in June 2010, explains Jin-Wen Yu, professor and chair of the Dance Department.

“I invited professors Leda Muhana and David Iannitelli from UFBA (Universidade Federal of Bahia), to teach a three-week workshop and choreograph a dance for students from UW–Madison and two other universities from Australia and Taiwan. The dance was performed in New York City in mid-July 2010 at the opening concert of World Dance Alliance Global Dance Events. “

Muhana, who directs the School of Dance at UFBA, arranged for 15 UW–Madison students, accompanied by Yu and two other faculty members (Chris Walker and Kate Corby), to spend three weeks in June at UFBA, in Salvador, Brazil. There, they took classes, rehearsed and learned about the culture.

Yu says: “Their faculty and students are thrilled to take classes and dance with our faculty and students. Our faculty and students are amazed how much they can offer and enrich our dancing education and experiences. The cultural experiences for our faculty and students are extremely rich.

“This is my third trip to UFBA and I am very satisfied that my colleagues and students felt powerful and fruitful in this visit.”

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Compounding One International Experience with Another

July 27, 2011   admin   No comments

Dhina Susanti and Cheng Cheng are among the many international students who have come to UW–Madison. This summer, both are building on their international experiences through internships that have taken each of them to yet another country.

Dhina Susanti, a senior from Semarang, Indonesia, majoring in electrical engineering, is working as a service engineer intern (May 30-July 22) at Bucyrus China, part of Bucyrus International, a home-grown Wisconsin company that produces mining equipment.

Susanti explains: “I will mainly work with the service leaders and will be rotated to our sales department for two weeks. I will spend part of my time in the Beijing office and will also travel to service stations adjacent to major customers’ mine sites, such as Inner Mongolia and Huainan.”

Cheng Cheng, a senior from Shanghai, China, is majoring in sociology with a concentration in analysis and research and a certificate in German. She is an intern at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, in Hyderabad, India (May 31-July 10).

Cheng explains: “For my internship , I conduct an independent research project, examining how the Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Project affects married women’s contraceptive use. Upon completion of the internship, I will write a final report about my project.”

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Badger Students on Service-learning Program in China

July 27, 2011   admin   1 Comment
Beijing, China

A group of UW–Madison students, shown here in Beijing, is in China this summer on a new hybrid study abroad/service-learning program, “China: History and Modern Development of Environmental Health.” The program includes a faculty-led historical and envi

ronmental study trip through China, followed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty embarking on a service-learning field project focused on sustainable development and global health issues in Sichuan Province.

This new service-learning program is the result of nearly a year of work within the Division of International Studies, developing programming, partnerships, and funding.

This photo was provided by Steven Olikara, center. Olikara, a political science and environmental studies major from Brookfield, Wisconsin, worked on development of this program in the Division’s International Internship Program, which was created with support through the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates.

Olikara says: “Developing such a program speaks to the UW’s unique entrepreneurial opportunities that promote innovation, service opportunities that highlight the Wisconsin Idea, and leadership opportunities that define the Wisconsin Experience for our students.”

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Beijing Legal: Getting Global Insight into Business

July 27, 2011   admin   No comments

“I know that international work experience is something that is increasingly sought after and not always easy to arrange,” says Amelia Coffey.

Coffey, a junior from Silver Spring, Maryland, majoring in history, counts herself fortunate to be among the many UW–Madison students who are combining learning and work experiences this summer through a variety of internships around the world.

This is the first in a series of reports in which current international interns from UW–Madison talk about their experiences from the field.

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  • About

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison community speaks with a myriad of voices, including many with international perspectives. This rich global tapestry adds much to the unique fabric of this world-class university, and contributes to the stimulating learning environment.

    The UW–Madison Division of International Studies is committed to reflecting the full range of global voices and international perspectives within the UW-Madison community. Wisconsin in the World: Community Conversations, a blog facilitated by International Studies staff, is designed as a flexible vehicle for seeking out and highlighting these global voices.

    Have comments, suggestions, or ideas for future features? Contact Kerry G. Hill at kghill@international.wisc.edu.

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