IES – Page 4 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Finding Community Abroad

AdminOctober 26, 2017

Coming to a new and unfamiliar country, I didn’t know what to expect. In the past, everywhere that I have traveled, I have either known someone there, or have traveled with someone. But this time, I was coming to a country where I knew no one. It is strange to have to create your own community in less than four months, with people that you barely know.

But, travelling in a new and unfamiliar place can also lead to unfamiliar friendships and communities. In Morocco, I’ve been lucky to have an incredible host family that I can go back to at the end of the day and feel at home with. Even with a language barrier, my host mom and I talk about a range of things, including Moroccan culture, politics, religion, or food. She makes me freshly squeezed orange juice every morning, and always does her best to make sure that I feel comfortable at home.

Likewise, travelling around Morocco has been an incredible experience – not just to see the beauty and diversity of the country, but to bond with others in my study abroad group as well. From the intense heat of the Moroccan sun in the hot cities of Fez and Meknes, to summiting the highest mountain in North Africa, it has been amazing to share unique experiences with the others in my program. Although I’ve been missing my friends and communities back at GW, it has been good to have another group of friends in Morocco, with whom I can share my hopes, fears, and worries.

Pictured: Some of my friends as we were trekking up Mount Toubkal - the highest mountain in North Africa. This was hour eight of climbing!

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Your Identity is What You Make It

AdminSeptember 25, 2017

My identity has been something that I have questioned with my whole life. My father is Sri Lankan, and my mother is American. They come from two very different worlds – one the son of a tailor who lived in a small village, and the other the daughter of an auditor at the Federal Reserve in New York. They met in Tanzania, while working in refugee camps after the Rwandan genocide, and soon afterwards got married in Sri Lanka. My relatives live in all corners of the world and are all exceedingly different.

Being multiracial and having international roots, I was lucky to have the opportunity to grow up in different countries, and to have my feet planted in the roots of both my parents’ cultures. Going to international schools, then moving to the US were experiences that have made me aware of my identity, and has forced me to think about how others view me as a woman, Muslim, American, foreigner, or anything else.

By diverse background has been a source of constant learning and has shaped my mindset to be more accepting and globally minded. But being biracial and having international roots can often mean being invisible as well. My body is a battleground of two nations and cultures, constantly vying to be defining parts of my story. I am simultaneously my mother’s child and my father’s biological heir, and balancing the two can sometimes feel impossible.

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Reflecting Back

AdminJune 13, 2017December 14, 2018

By rsengupta18

I am officially back in the US, and it’s a weird, familiar feeling. With the rush of moving back, seeing old friends, in and starting my new job, I’ve had little time to reflect. But as I sit down and I think about all I’ve done, all I’ve seen, all the people I’ve met, all I’ve learned—I realize how much my perspective has changed thanks to this experience.

I had no idea what to expect going into Europe with the intention to research environmental policy. To be honest all I knew was that they were “good” at it. After months of immersion and research, I now have a sense of pride for all the work European countries have completed in environmentalism. Now, my career path has definitely shifted.

Before coming to Europe I knew European Environmental Policy as the Copenhagen Accord, the Paris Agreement, and a general way of life that viewed climate change has an important universal issue rather than a politicized one. After months of immersion and research, I now understand the complex image of environmental policy in Europe. Rather than being uniform, it is a complex puzzle as each country has different threats, abilities, and commitments.

Most notably, I realized the role of major cities in driving environmental policy, specifically through the C40 (a collaborative group started by the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone). After learning more about the C40’s strong organizational structure, and high success rates, I’ve realized the impact of mega-cities and big businesses. Before coming to Europe I had the idea that all notable policy came out of the embassy’s, but I now aspire to work in city governance or sustainable business consulting—helping small regions take big strides in sustainability.

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L’Environnement à Paris

AdminApril 17, 2017December 14, 2018

By rsengupta18

There are so many things we can learn from French environmental policy. Every day I am inspired by their success and commitment to mitigating climate change. However, it is still a mega-city with many complexities and challenges.

Paris is a leader in the C40; a group of 40 cities committed to combating climate change, regardless of national politics. I find this trend especially interesting. As national politics grow increasingly convoluted, I think this is the most strategic move for the green movement—utilizing influential cities and companies to lead societal trends.

As part of the C40, Paris has vowed to cut yearly emissions by 7 million tons in the next three years. Because of this commitment, I find Paris to be very progressive in their movement to green transit. The key to this success is their high inter-mobility between public transport options. The “Pass Navigo”, an economical 70 euros per month, gives citizens access to the metro, the regional train, the bus, the tram, and, within the next year, the bike-share program. Having all of these systems integrated increases public transit, making these green systems easier than driving. Additionally, Paris has limited the quantity parking spaces in the city to prevent individuals from driving. They also lowered the speed limit on the main highway to decrease emissions. Lastly, they’ve Auto-Lib, an electric car sharing system.

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Is the EU really the leader in climate policy?

AdminFebruary 27, 2017December 14, 2018

By rsengupta18

For February and March, I’ll be exploring environmental conservation efforts in France. My analysis is especially interesting this month as I had the chance to travel throughout the European Union during my spring break. I was able to compare France’s environmental policy with Denmark, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. What I saw throughout the EU was not what I expected.

The EU has a reputation for being the world leader in climate change. Because of this, I assumed every country within the union would be dedicated and innovative to mitigating climate change. But, as with everything in life, it is more complex than it appears. I realized the policy is fragmented, and effects countries in different ways. The most glaring trend I saw was that climate change leadership went hand in hand with a strong economy.

First Stop: Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen was extremely environmentally friendly (note the strong, stable economy). I was impressed by their innovative infrastructure that has come about in reaction to rising sea levels. My favorite was the Inderhavnsbroen, a massive pedestrian bridge connecting two of the islands. The bridge stretches 590 feet, has a stunning view of the water, and a winding, modern design.

Copenhagen is a beautiful, relatively small, walkable city. This means fewer cars, fewer emissions, and less pollution. I swear, I saw more bicycles than cars when I was there.

What I loved most about Copenhagen, and what I think other cities should learn from them, is their ability to reuse and recycle items in a creative way. For example, at the Street Food Market, old cargo carts are now used as lookout decks where visitors can sit by the fire, sip a drink, and watch the beautiful sunset over the Baltic Sea. Sounds romantic right? I would never have guessed that old cargo carts could be romantic.

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Old Dreams, New Adventures

AdminJanuary 31, 2017December 14, 2018

By rsengupta18

What Brought Me Here:

Study Abroad is something that I’ve always seen as a necessity, rather than an option. My allegiance to this experience was evident as early as high school when I narrowed down which colleges to apply to based on which administrations had the most support for study abroad.

After years of fantasizing about this experience, I’ve made it to in Paris, France through the IES Business and International Affairs program. I have always been attracted to French culture and language. I started studying French seriously in Middle School and completed a cultural exchange in Marseille when I was sixteen. My time in Marseille was a magical bildungsroman moment. In those two weeks, I discovered who I wanted to be, and what I wanted to do with my life. I realized I was an adventurous, extroverted spirit, that I reveled in challenge, and that I found fulfillment in culture. Don’t you just love that word? Culture. In summary, I realized there was more out there in the world for me. I knew my time in France wasn’t done. From the moment I left France in 2013, I knew I’d be back in Paris in a few years for study abroad.

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Russia…

AdminMay 6, 2015December 14, 2018

By kaandle

As much as abroad is about traveling to new places and experiencing new, wonderful things, it's important to realize that every place you visit will not be your new favorite destination. For my programs second week long excursion we traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia. I undoubtedly saw impressive architecture, learned of a deep history and experienced a unique environment, but I also reentered winter (it was snowing significantly when we arrived and on several mornings) and ate the same mayonnaise covered foods for a week. But hey - that's Russia for you. A word to the wise - borsch and Russian salad are a reality of every meal. Despite the dietary and meteorological challenges, here are some of the highlights of this educational excursion.

Hermitage Museum

This former palace will be recognizable to any person that watched Anastasia as a child. The exterior is covers it a distinct green plaster and the interior is covered with even more impressive paintings and sculptures. Among the treasures of this collection are two completed Michelangelo's, a Rafael sculpture and a recently destroyed painting that was thought to be lost forever from a vicious stack with acid. Absolutely worth your time. Even if you don't enjoy art, the walls of the rooms are still ornately decorated from its time as the Winter Palace.

Erarta Museum

For those who enjoy contemporary art, interactive exhibits, or things off the beaten track this is the place to go. It's a bit out of the way but the large exhibit - including five floors of permanent and five floors of temporary exhibitions - is a unique approach to curating a museum as well as introduces you to more Russian artists than Kandinsky.

The Ballet

The Mariinsky Ballet is Russia's second most prestigious company, after the Moscow Ballet. It was a wonderful surprise for me that we were going to a performance while in Russia, especially as a dance major. This is definitely an event worth seeing, not only to experience the Russian style ballet in its native land, but for the beauty and experience of a classic performance art.