From Geneva to Paris: How studying abroad with SIT sparked a global health journey

November 12th, 2025   |   Alumni, Europe, SIT Study Abroad

For Muskaan Makkar, studying abroad in SIT’s Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy program was the start of a pivotal academic journey. What originated as an idea from her mother evolved into an experience that inspired her Independent Study Project (ISP) on nutrition labeling and ultimately, led to her becoming a Fulbright scholar in France.

We spoke to Makkar about why Switzerland was more than just a study abroad destination and how her experiences there became the start of a future career path.

What made you decide to study abroad in Switzerland with SIT?

Switzerland has always been my mother’s dream country to visit, so when I was thinking about studying abroad, I decided to look there first. Perhaps it was fate, because the first program I stumbled upon was the SIT Global Health and Development Policy program in Geneva, the global health capital. As a public health major at the University of South Carolina with a vested interest in comparative global health policy—examining and utilizing the actionable steps that world leaders are taking to improve their countries’ health—I felt that I had to look no further. My whole family was able to visit me in Switzerland when the program ended, so it was a beautiful fit in every way.

What did you do your ISP on and what surprised you most about the process?

My ISP was a comparative analysis of front-of-package labeling systems around the world. This idea came to fruition when I went grocery shopping with my host mom on the very first day I moved in. I noticed the Nutri-Score, a five-colored label etched on the front of packaged foods and beverages that rate foods as A (most nutritious) to E (least nutritious), everywhere in the store, and I was immediately fascinated. What was this? Did it work? Do people understand it? I looked into the policy, and discovered that there were many other front-of-package labeling systems around the world. I decided to compare the effectiveness of three labels: the Nutri-Score, the Mexican warning labels, and the United States’ Facts Up Front label. I examined the differences in design, content, policy implementation, and social discourse surrounding these labels via a literature review and interviews with professors, journalists, dietitians, and other experts in the field.

However, the most surprising part of this process was that I applied to the SIT program with a completely different idea than this one. My former idea was a topic related to health insurance, and I was really excited about that project as well. But, when inspiration strikes, it strikes, and that’s exactly what happened when I arrived in Switzerland.

How did your time abroad with SIT influence your decision to apply to be a Fulbright scholar?

My ISP is directly correlated with my decision to apply to Fulbright. I am a Fulbright France research grantee, working with the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN) at the Universite Sorbonne Paris Nord. EREN helped develop and implement the Nutri-Score in France and various other European countries through comprehensive research. My current supervisor, Dr. Chantal Julia, was actually one of my interviewees for my ISP. I was so interested in the Nutri-Score after my conversation with her that I knew I wanted to keep learning about it. The Fulbright program was always on my radar in college because I believe in the value of a global education, but I never had a specific project that I wanted to do. After my ISP though, all the dots started connecting. So, I reached out to Dr. Julia in May when I finished the SIT program and asked if she would want to affiliate with me if I applied for the Fulbright France grant, and the rest is history.

Without the opportunities I utilized in the SIT program, I genuinely would not be where I am right now.

Any advice for prospective students considering studying abroad with SIT?

It is true that the SIT programs are not your typical study abroad experiences. You aren’t at a university in the country, you’re in a specifically tailored curriculum and will grow immensely in that field. If that seems like something you would want to do, then SIT could be a great fit for you. And if you choose SIT, take advantage of every opportunity that is provided to you. I could have completed my ISP for the sake of completing it and getting a grade, but that’s not what the program is about. It’s about digging deeper, making connections, and becoming a better student. Be proactive and keep in mind that this could very well influence the next chapter of your life.

What are your post-Fulbright plans?

I am currently applying to master’s programs in public health with a dual degree in dietetics to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. I hope to enroll in August 2026, after a summer of traveling! My long-term goal is to open my own food policy agency that offers nutrition counseling with dietitians, partners with universities to develop research-based solutions, and lobbies for increased food equity at the state and federal government levels.

Learn more about SIT Study Abroad programs in Europe here.