Registration now open for nearly 40 SIT summer programs

If you haven’t yet begun planning for next summer, this is a great time to start.

Registration opens Wednesday, Sept. 15, for 38 SIT summer 2022 study abroad opportunities. Included are new programs that encompass art and social change in Eastern Europe; hip-hop music and decoloniality in Senegal; climate change in Jordan; peace-building and human rights in the Balkans; human trafficking in the Netherlands; food security in Italy; epidemiology in Argentina; and urban design and social justice in Spain.

“SIT has historically expanded the frontiers of international education, creating global opportunities of learning and cultural immersion for thousands of students a year across all continents,” notes SIT Dean of Faculty Dr. Said Graiouid. “The summer 2022 portfolio maintains that tradition with programs that focus on social, political, economic and scientific arenas and in diverse historical periods and geographical settings.”

Students are challenged to embrace a human-centered, comparative approach …”

SIT’s immersive programs next summer will take place in sub-Saharan Africa, the Asia Pacific region, Europe, and the Middle East/North Africa.

SIT will also once again offer virtual internships that allow undergraduates to build invaluable professional and academic experience on a range of subjects. These include two Jordan internships, in counseling and humanitarian action, and in community empowerment and climate change; women’s rights in Cameroon; education and social change in Chile; sustainability in India; public health in Kenya; human rights in Serbia; diplomacy and international relations in South Africa; and development and gender in Vietnam.

Regardless of which program they choose, says Graiouid, “students are challenged to embrace a human-centered, comparative approach in which they engage with resources and the competencies needed for the development of the skills of critical literacy, intercultural communication, and intellectual polity.”

Alix Swann, an international studies major at Spelman College, did a virtual internship on the Chile program in fall 2020 in which she worked with a women’s collective that fights street sexual harassment. Alix’s task was to teach about U.S. laws and policies on sexual harassment in the workplace and digital sexual harassment.

“Before this internship, my viewpoint was solely from a U.S. perspective, and I now no longer try to relate everything to the U.S.,” she says.

Yardena Meyerhoff, a physics and astronomy major at Whitman College, also did the Chile program, interning with the Colegio de Profesoras y Profesores de Chile to conduct a comparative analysis of Chile’s standardized testing system and the effect of standardized testing on student learning and development.

“My meetings with my internship advisor were very organic and natural and would often go in fascinating and sometimes unexpected directions. Our conversations made me think about my own experiences with education growing up in Minnesota, and how education systems around the world suffer from similar inequalities,” Yardena recalls.

SIT’s virtual language programs have also been popular during the pandemic. Language options for summer 2022 include all levels of Arabic (from Jordan); Swahili (Kenya); Hindi (India); Nepali and Tibetan (Nepal).

New SIT programs for summer 2022 are:

Argentina: Epidemiology and Healthcare Management—Through SIT’s close partnership with ISALUD, the nation’s top health university and think tank, examine urban epidemiology, health inequalities, and the challenges of managing health services and policies to expand access to healthcare.

---

Czech Republic: Studio Arts—Explore photography, creative writing, or contemporary dance through an intensive arts workshop while examining debates around art, politics, and society.

---

Italy: Food Security and Nutrition—Delve into sustainable agriculture on a Tuscan estate and explore how international experts are confronting challenges of food security, nutrition, and health.

---

Jordan: Community Empowerment and Climate Change Internship—Gain professional experience with a UN or government agency or NGO working with youth and vulnerable groups on community empowerment and environmental sustainability.

---

Netherlands: Human Trafficking, Sex Trade, and Modern Slavery in Europe—Examine diverse areas of human trafficking and the sex trade, including the relationship between sex workers and broader societies.

---

Senegal: Hip-Hop, Resilience, and Black Struggles—Examine how young Africans use hip-hop to question traditional representations of Africa, imagine the continent’s future, and raise consciousness of globalization and (in)equality.

---

Serbia: Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and Memory Activism Internship—Look at justice, human rights, and memory in post-conflict societies and contribute to the work of an important organization with a meaningful internship.

---

Spain: Sustainable Urban Development and Social Justice—Explore the approaches Spanish cities are taking to pursue sustainable urban development within a social justice framework.

---

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy—Compare public health systems within the framework of international and sustainable development, humanitarian action, human rights, and social justice.

---

For more information about these and all SIT Study Abroad programs, visit www.studyabroad.sit.edu.

Launching this fall: MAs in Global Health Policy, Administration & Management; International Education; Diplomacy & International Relations

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont – School for International Training has received accreditation for three innovative new global master’s degrees in Diplomacy & International Relations; International Education; and Global Health Policy, Administration & Management.

The Vermont-based SIT Graduate Institute received its accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education, the regional accreditation agency responsible for colleges and universities in New England. The one-year Global MAs are delivered entirely abroad, with coursework in SIT centers around the world capped by students’ final practica, which, for most programs, may be completed in the U.S. or abroad.

The new MAs launch in September, led by faculty in the U.S., South America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, who will guide students through programs designed to develop leaders who can respond to some of the most critical global issues of our time, including global health crises, economic inequality, natural resource degradation, and political and ethnic conflict.

“These one-of-a-kind global degrees build on SIT’s nearly 90-year history of training the next generation of innovative, compassionate global leaders at a time when the world faces unprecedented challenges,” said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “Our dedicated faculty around the world have carefully designed these programs to help students learn to tackle urgent issues of the day in every corner of the globe and turn those skills into careers.”

The new degrees expand on SIT Graduate Institute’s stable of other accredited global MAs in Climate Change & Global Sustainability; Development Practice; and Humanitarian Assistance & Crisis Management, also based in cities around the world.

SIT also offers low-residency master’s degrees in Sustainable Development, Peace & Justice Leadership, TESOL, International Education, and a self-designed degree in Intercultural Service, Leadership & Management, putting SIT at the forefront of global institutions sending effective leaders, professionals and change-makers into the world.

Many of SIT’s graduates go on to work in high-level positions with organizations such as the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations, and major foundations across the globe.

To learn more about SIT Graduate Institute programs, visit our website. To learn more about the School for International Training and its programs for students at every age on every continent, see SIT’s website.

Meet our Global and Low-Residency program chairs to find the MA that’s right for you

This new SIT webinar series presents a great opportunity to learn about SIT’s Global and Low-Residency master’s degree programs.  

Global Programs Webinar: Wednesday, January 8 – 9 a.m. (Eastern U.S.) with Dr. Joe Lanning (MA in Development Practice) and Dr. Richard Walz (MA in Climate Change & Global Sustainability)

Low-Residency Programs Webinar: Friday, January 17 – 12 p.m. (Eastern U.S.) with Dr. Bruce Dayton (MA in Peace and Justice Leadership) and Dr. Udi Butler (MA in Sustainable Development)

Global Programs Webinar: Tuesday, January 21 – 12 p.m. (Eastern U.S.) with Dr. Bruce Dayton (MA in Diplomacy & International Relations) and Dr. Sora Friedman (MA in International Education)

Low-Residency Programs Webinar: Wednesday, January 22 – 4 p.m. (Eastern U.S. ) with Dr. Leslie Turpin (MA in TESOL) and Dr. Sora Friedman (MA in International Education)

Global Programs Webinar: Monday, January 27 – 9 a.m. (Eastern U.S.) with Dr. Steve Wandiga & Dr. Azim Khan (MA in Global Health, Administration & Management) and Dr. Bayan Abdulhaq (MA in Humanitarian Assistance & Crisis Management)

The SIT Swiss Banking, Finance and Social Responsibility Program offers a 6-week long internship in the fields of ethical investment, sustainable finance, circular economy, and cryptocurrencies. Students are exposed to Swiss and international working practices and have the opportunity to extend their network within Swiss and European financial institutions, start-ups, complementary currencies and blockchain technology companies.

Aline has worked with SIT Switzerland since 2007 and is from Francophone Switzerland. She studied liberal arts at the University of Geneva and holds a master’s degree in French literature. Prior to SIT, Aline was coordinator of the Geneva International Film Festival for three years and taught French language and culture to international students. As academic coordinator, Aline assists the academic director, teaches in the Research Methods and Ethics course, and advises students in field research.

Heikki Mattila holds an MA in economics and sociology from the University of Helsinki and a PhD in sociology from the University of Geneva. An expert in migration, he’s worked in government, international organizations, and academia, including with the Finnish Ministry of Labor and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He consulted for IOM on migration policy development in Nigeria and Turkey and on field assessment of migrants’ humanitarian needs in Chad; he also coordinated research on internal displacement in Iraq.

Since the late 1990s, Dr. Mattila has briefed SIT students and advised on their research. He’s lectured at Webster University (Geneva), Central European University (Budapest), and the NATO Defense College (Rome). He has written about human trafficking, irregular migration, and human rights; his interests include migrants’ health, reproductive rights, and comparative health systems.

He wrote or co-edited “You Want a Multicultural Immigration Country, but We Don’t Want It”; “Ideologies, Interests and Discursive Strategies in German Parliamentary Debate on the 2004 Migration Law”; “Between Sanctions and Rights: Addressing the Irregular Employment of Immigrants in the European Union”; “Permanent or Circular Migration? Policy Choices to Address Demographic Decline and Labour Shortages in Europe”; and “Between Demand and Supply: Regional Analysis of the Supply and Demand for Sexual Services and Trafficking in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.”

Gyula Csurgai obtained his doctorate from the University of Geneva and political science degrees from University of Concordia (Canada) and University of Toulouse (France). He earned a postgraduate degree in European studies from the European Institute at the University of Geneva. He worked as scientific collaborator at the Geneva International Peace Research Institute and has taught international relations, geopolitics, and geo-economics for undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate programs.

Dr. Csurgai has organized international symposiums, participated in international research projects, and provided expertise to international organizations, governments, and the private sector. He has been part of SIT in Geneva since 1997 and became academic director in 2002. He was born in Hungary and holds Swiss citizenship.

Françoise joined the program in 2015. She holds a master’s in community planning and landscape architecture from the University of Rhode Island, a master’s in communication from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, and a bachelor’s in international relations / political science from the University of Sorbonne. She has more than ten years’ experience in change and project management for companies including IBM and Aerospatiale. In the US, she worked for the Department of Environmental Management and the Conservation Law Foundation. Previously, she worked for the French cultural agency in Mexico City. She has been involved in many community projects and is interested in medicinal plants and the ecology of places and landscapes.

Dr. Meur has a PhD in international relations from the University of Namur, where she examined the influence of resentment in the Lebanese-Syrian securitization, and a master’s degree in contemporary Arab and Muslim worlds from the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva. She studied political psychology at the University of Stanford and emotions in international relations at the University of Washington. Her research stands at the crossroads of security studies and political psychology and mainly focuses on the role of social emotions in conflict and post conflict. She is particularly interested in the influence of complex social emotions following traumatic events on security and foreign policy. She has conducted empirical research in Lebanon and Syria since 2006 and has been research project coordinator and lecturer at the Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action. She has taught research methods and research design and has experience in supervising academic dissertations.

Dr. Golaz is a physician and epidemiologist. She holds an MD and a doctorate in medicine (DrMed) from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and a master of public health from the University of Washington. She completed the Epidemic Intelligence Service program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and the CDC Preventive Medicine Residency program at the Indian Health Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was a visiting epidemiologist for the CDC and a regional immunization advisor seconded to the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia in Kathmandu; the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in Cairo; and the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in New Delhi.

Dr. Golaz teaches public health in humanitarian emergencies at the University of Geneva’s Center for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action and at the Global Studies Institute. Before joining the University in 2012, she was a UNICEF senior health advisor for humanitarian emergencies. She has contributed to many scientific publications.

Alexandre Lambert is Swiss and holds a PhD in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. He has been an academic director and lecturer with SIT in Geneva since 2007. He has been lead researcher for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at the Graduate Institute, project officer at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, and a civil servant at the Swiss Federal Department of Defense. He belongs to nonprofit civil society organizations including the Swiss Foreign Policy Association, the European Consortium of Political Research, and European Research Group on Armed Forces and Society. He is a fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society in Chicago and frequently provides policy advice to the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation, often regarding operations in the Western Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia. Dr. Lambert has published in international politics and history, international security, and security sector governance.

Dr. Lambert is member of the editorial board of Diplomatic Service, a scientific periodical issued by the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. He has been publishing on various aspects of social science, international affairs, and strategic studies, in German, French, English, and Russian languages. He just published two new books, with Cambridge Scholars on the geo-economics of the Silk Road, and with Routledge on the geopolitics of India.

See Dr. Lambert’s full list of publications

Joe was born in Canada and holds a bachelor’s degree from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, a master’s degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a DES (Diplôme d’études superieres) from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. He has worked for many years as project coordinator at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces. Joe has also taught international relations and media and communication in various Swiss private universities.

Aigul Jarmatova has studied in Switzerland, Malta, Italy, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. She holds an advanced master’s in European studies from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and advanced master’s and bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and political science from the University of Saint Petersburg, Russia. She has worked for many years in communication and finance departments at the United Nations (UNAIDS), various international organizations including The Global Fund, NGOs, academia, and the private sector. She was a scientific coordinator at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and has taught at the University of Fribourg and various private universities in Geneva. She was a rapporteur for different international projects in collaboration with the Swiss and Kyrgyz governments, UNESCO, the Geneva Center for Democratic Control of Armed Forces, the Council of Europe, the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, and the Global Fund Partnership Forum in Durban. She has also worked on various research projects related to Eastern European economies.

Dr. Goran Jovanovic holds a doctorate and master’s degree in international relations from the University of Geneva. He has wide-ranging experience and expertise in international education. He has taught at the International University in Geneva and in business schools and universities in Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, among other places. As a course instructor, Dr. Jovanovic focuses on globalization and global governance, international relations theories, foreign policy and diplomacy, international organizations, political communication, and strategic foresight.

Dr. Jovanovic was international relations department head at the International University in Geneva and scientific director at the Research Center on Audiovisual Sources of Contemporary History at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. He has published widely in international relations and political communication and produced many educational films and documentaries. Currently, he is academic director of the SIT Study Abroad program Banking, Finance and Social Responsibility in Switzerland and associate professor / co-chair of the European portion of the Global Master’s in Diplomacy and International Relations program at the SIT Graduate Institute.

See Dr. Jovanovic’s full list of publications

Amjad holds a master’s degree in educational sciences, focusing on methods of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, from the University of Jordan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic/English translation from the University of Yarmouk. Amjad taught Arabic at Dutchess Community College- Poughkeepsie, New York. He has taught at SIT since 2016. He has training in psychosocial support, and worked as a language facilitator and language partner with the Peace Corps and USAID.

Ghadeer began teaching as an instructor of Arabic language for intermediate high and advanced levels in 2011 at International House Amman. In 2016, she worked at Jordan Language Academy as an instructor of Arabic for specific purposes. In 2017, Ghadeer obtained a master’s degree in Arabic for speakers of other languages from the University of Jordan. She has been teaching Modern Standard Arabic for SIT since the winter of 2017.

Farah holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and literature from the University of Jordan and has over three years’ experience teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers. She has taught Arabic (standard and colloquial) at all levels. Farah has trained at Qasid Institute in teaching Arabic language and culture and has worked at Jordanian Academy of Languages and Wafid Center.

Applications open Sept. 15

With undergraduates’ schedules in full swing for the new academic year, it’s not too soon to start thinking about how to make the most of summer 2019. Imagine snorkeling in one of the world’s top diving sites as you study marine ecology in Panama, building career skills with an internship at an NGO in Vietnam, exploring Madagascar’s extraordinary natural environment to learn about traditional medicine, or learning Arabic in Jordan or Morocco.

Those are just some of the many opportunities available through School for International Training (SIT). During summer 2019, SIT Study Abroad is offering 23 programs in 17 countries that will appeal to a wide range of majors and interests, including five skills-building internship opportunities.

Like all SIT Study Abroad programs, each summer program offers academic rigor and an immersive cultural experience within the framework of at least one critical global issue. Applications for these programs open September 15.

New to the SIT Student Abroad summer portfolio this year are:

Colombia: Building a Culture of Peace – Integrate peace studies with Colombia’s cultures through music, dance, and food from the program base in the vibrant, multicultural Caribbean Coast city of Cartagena, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Vietnam: Nongovernmental Organization Internship – Learn about development and the roles of nongovernmental organizations engaged in social change through this guided internship, which also includes lectures and site visits. Customize this program based on your areas of interest.

SIT summer programs, sorted according to themes, are:

Climate | Environment

Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics  

Indonesia: Biodiversity and Conservation in Bali and Borneo  

Jordan: Engineering and Design for Sustainable Environments  

Nepal: Geoscience in the Himalaya  

Panama: Marine Ecology & Blue Carbon Conservation in the Pacific & Caribbean  

Tanzania: Climate Change and Sustainability, Mount Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar

Development | Economy | Inequality

India: Agroecology and Food Security in the Himalaya  

Panama: Community and Nongovernmental Organizations Internship  

Vietnam: Nongovernmental Organization Internship

Global Health

China: Community Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine  

India: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Practices

Jordan: Counseling and Humanitarian Action Internship  

Kenya: Public Health in the Tropics Internship  

Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems  

Switzerland: Food Security and Nutrition

Media | Arts | Social Change

Argentina: Art, Memory, and Social Transformation

Migration | Identity | Resilience

Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language Studies  

Morocco: Arabic Language and Community Service  

Peace | Human Rights | Social Movements

Colombia: Building a Culture of Peace  

South Africa: Education and Social Change  

South Africa: Social Justice and Activism Internship  

Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy  

Uganda and Rwanda: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Lake Victoria Basin

Visit our website for more information on these and all of SIT’s immersive, experiential study abroad opportunities.

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont – Responding to one of the most critical global issues of the 21^st century, School for International Training has introduced a groundbreaking new master’s degree that brings students face to face with real-world challenges and solutions to the crises that have displaced more than 68 million people worldwide.

SIT Graduate Institute is now accepting applications for the fully accredited MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management, which launches in fall 2019. This one-year program takes place entirely abroad, with students studying in Jordan and Uganda, countries that together host nearly three million refugees but take starkly different approaches to the issue. Students will also travel to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with international leaders of organizations that address refugee policy and management.

The new MA builds on SIT’s expertise in experiential-based learning and hands-on training in global settings, said Dr. Sophia Howlett, president of SIT.

“This global master’s degree in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management redoubles SIT’s commitment to justice and humanity by shaping leaders capable of mobilizing effective responses and better solutions to the plight of disaster-stricken populations,” said Dr. Howlett. “By immersing students in real-world humanitarian responses, our mission is to shape a generation of leaders equipped with the ethics, competencies, and passion to lead principled, effective, and innovative humanitarian solutions around the globe.”

The program is one of a range of globally focused master’s degrees offered by SIT Graduate Institute, a leader in global education and a pioneer in fields such as language learning, international education, and peace and conflict studies.

Last year, under Dr. Howlett’s leadership, SIT introduced a global master’s degree format, taught in SIT centers abroad, in which students take courses from top academics and meet with experts in the field. The new format draws upon SIT’s extensive global resources, including locally based faculty and staff who also work with more than 200 U.S. colleges and universities to provide undergraduate study abroad programs on seven continents. Twelve of these programs focus on migration, and others address migration within the context of other critical global issues.

Dr. Ken Williams, dean of SIT Graduate Institute, said this new MA responds to the growing need for a cross-cultural approach to humanitarian crises. “This groundbreaking program takes students on a journey to Jordan and Uganda to examine the creative methods used by local and global organizations to address the challenges faced by millions of people,” he said.

Students will spend the fall semester in Jordan, which hosts millions of refugees and displaced populations from Palestine, Iraq, and Syria, many living in refugee camps. There, during emergency, post-emergency, and resettlement phases, students will have firsthand exposure to the humanitarian response of UN agencies including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, World Health Organization, and the United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund.

During the second semester in Uganda, students will witness one of the most progressive refugee protection policies in the world. As the largest refugee-serving country in Africa, Uganda hosts more than 1.35 million refugees primarily from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Somalia. During their third and final semester, SIT students will carry out a practicum at a refugee-serving agency in one of the two countries.

“As someone with over 30 years of humanitarian experience, I know that skilled and thoughtful management of crises and disasters is sorely needed,” said Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America and an alumna of SIT Graduate Institute. “We live in a time with unprecedented numbers of people displaced from their homes around the globe, and with a tragically steady stream of emergencies coming at us through conflict, disease, famine, and natural events, many significantly worsened by climate change. This new SIT program responds to a global demand for compassionate, highly competent professionals.”

Dr. Bayan Abdulhaq, SIT’s Amman-based chair of the new program, said students will have an unparalleled opportunity to become immersed in real-world humanitarian responses to disaster-stricken populations. “This global humanitarian assistance master’s degree equips students with an expert understanding of the challenges facing today’s humanitarian action leaders and offers a global perspective on humanitarian response and crisis management,” she said.

The 36-credit MA is designed to prepare students for careers in a wide range of fields, including human rights, humanitarian aid and relief, international relations, development, nonprofit and NGO management, monitoring and evaluation, international law, public health, and gender equity.

Read more about this program.

Bayan has been the academic director for the Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action program since 2013 and the chair of the MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management program since 2018. Her research interests focus on psychiatric pharmacy and the health and wellbeing of refugees and vulnerable populations. She holds a PhD in biopharmaceutical sciences and an MS in pharmaceutical analysis and quality control from King’s College London. She holds a BS in pharmacy from the University of Jordan. She taught at the school of pharmacy at the University of Jordan and the University of Petra. Bayan has extensive experience in educational quality assurance and was quality assurance director at TAG School of Business at the German Jordanian University. Bayan is a licensed pharmacist and worked as a community pharmacist and medical affairs manager at a pharmaceutical firm. She also consults on Good Clinical Practice.

See Dr. Abdulhaq’s list of publications

SIT Study Abroad Programs

• Switzerland: Banking, Finance, and Social Responsibility
• Switzerland: Food Security and Nutrition (Summer)
• Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy
• Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy
• Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy (Summer)