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Student Profiles

Sample student profiles

 French, IR and Sociology spell migration research with Paris think tanks
 Immigration and Islam
 Le think tank: life in a policy institute, à la française (IR, international economics)
 At the heart of immigration policy debate in Brussels
 Mandarin and French in preparation for the G20 summit
 African immigration in Italy from a French perspective
 International studies student takes on political negotiations on climate change
 Delving into the heart of the European debt crisis from a European capital
(See overview page for important information on profiles and lists.)

French, IR and Sociology spell migration research with Paris think tanks

Name: Jennifer C.
Undergraduate major field(s): International Studies, Sociology
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Prepare for a career in international governance by perfecting French skills and study international relations from a French and European viewpoint.
Placement: Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS)
Responsibilities as intern:
 As assistant researcher responsible for monitoring current events and policy concerning the Korean peninsula, China and Japan.
 Contributions to IRIS presentations on emerging nations (South Africa, Mexico), especially macro-economic and socio-cultural data.
 Editing English-language papers written by IRIS research staff.
Subject of research: The Geo-politics, sociology and legal framework of Southeast Asian immigration toward France.
And... As a year-long student in the French Field Studies program (with Sciences Po), Jennifer went on to internships at the two other main IR institutes in France (CERI et IFRI) At the latter she assisted a leading immigration expert, Catherine de Wenden, in preparing a widely-noted atlas of migrations.

Immigration and Islam

Name: Lyssa S.
Undergraduate major field(s): Sociology/Anthropology, Francophone Studies
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Further her understanding of immigration issues and the islamic world, especially the Mahgreb, and prepare for study in Mali.
Placement: Institut d’Etudes de l’Islam et des Sociétés du Monde Musulman (IISMM – Institute for Islamic and Muslim World Studies)
Responsibilities as intern:
 maintain a regular review of Islamic topics of interest to IISMM in English-language periodicals.
 conduct Web research of English-language publishers and publications in Islamic studies.
 build a catalogue of Islamic studies in American research institutes and universities.
 participate in IISMM seminars and assist in recording seminars for Internet broadcast.
Subject of research: A comparative study of how Islam and the Islamic world is taught in France and in the United States.
And... Lyssa went further into the Isamic world, with the Carleton Mali program in the following term.

Le think tank: life in a policy institute, à la française

Name: Bridget C.
Undergraduate major field(s): International Relations, Economics
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Explore in a French setting the global relations and economics subjects she has studied in courses at W&M; learn more about France-Africa relations; become fluent in French.
Placement: IFRAP (Think tank for public administration and policy research)
Responsibilities as intern:
 Carry out a research project on development aid worldwide.
 Attend staff meetings, participate in the life of a research institute.
 Generate notes and memos for internal and external communication.
Subject of research: Future Forms of Aid to Development
And... Bridget’s research results were included in material published by IFRAP

At the heart of immigration policy debate in Brussels

Name: Lauren C.
Undergraduate major field(s): French, Political Science
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: To work in a government ministry, observing how French lawmakers and governments deal with issues of racism and inequality.
Placement: Interior Ministry – Immigration Bureau
Responsibilities as intern:
 Work on European directives in the process of being negotiated in Brussels
 Travel to Brussels to observe procedures and negotiations; attend preparatory meetings, examine texts, meet with the French government’s European affairs secretary
 Conduct research on foreign students in the US in the larger context of immigration in the US
Subject of research: Becoming a Citizen: The real requirements for naturalization in France and the US
And... Since graduating Lauren has worked in the private sector in marketing, and is currently considering returning to Paris to complete her master’s degree.

Mandarin and French in preparation for the G20 summit

Name: PengPeng X.
Undergraduate major field(s): Economics, International Studies
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Learn how professional researchers identify issues, collect and analyze data and form arguments to achieve practical goals. Build knowledge of international debates from global viewpoints and become fluent in French.
Placement: Think tank and center for international policy research on Asia
Responsibilities as intern:
 Contribute to research projects "China’s Path toward a Smart Grid", and “G20 and the roles of China and France”, analyzing policy constraints and opportunities for EU companies, in preparation for an EU- China summit in Brussels
 Complete weekly press reviews of both Chinese and French press, assembling documentary dossiers on relevant subjects
 Conduct interviews in Mandarin and communicate findings to French colleagues
Subject of research: China and Europe in Africa
And... Research in the think tank suited her so much she now works as a research assistant at the Wharton School (the business school of the University of Pennsylvania.)

African immigration in Italy from a French perspective

Name: Brook C.
Undergraduate major field(s): French, International Studies
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Achieve a deep and thorough understanding of European international institutions as well as trends and events in world affairs.
Placement: CERI (Principal French research institute for international affairs)
Responsibilities as intern:
 Participate in a project on the effects of immigration in Italy on the political class
 Conduct interviews within the organization and a well as with external figures
 Assist in the preparation of a colloquium organized by the institution
 Attend multi-day doctoral-level seminars at Sciences Po’
 Translate abstracts and other texts; assist other researchers with editing and writing projects
Subject of research: The Effect of Migratory Flows among Italy, Libya and the European Union
And... Brook returned to France the following summer to complete a second internship in IR at IRIS this time focusing on terrorism and cyber conflicts.

International studies student takes on political negotiations on climate change

Name: Jamie S.
Undergraduate major field(s): International Studies
Goals for her Field Study semester: “To develop my French vocabulary and refine my French writing skills on a professional level. To gain practical experience in an NGO or a think tank whose work is related to international trade or international development and economic policy.”
Placement: Research institute for sustainable development in a global context 
Responsibilities as intern
 Participate in an effort to summarize theories in international relations and political interplay on internal and external level in international negotiations, conducting research and bibliographic work and writing summaries
 Simulate negotiations on climate policy; analyze the US presidential rhetoric on climate, environmental and renewable energy policy. 
 Attend research seminars
Subject of research: International Relations Theory Applied to Multilateral Negotiations on Climate Policy
And... Jaime was awarded a merit scholarship to do a joint masters program in Economic Policy and International Relations at Sciences po and LSE, focusing on Brazil-Africa relations.

Delving into the heart of the European debt crisis from a European capital

Name: Inni Y.
Undergraduate major field(s): Political Theory & Economics
Goals for her Field Study semester: To put the skills learned in class to use in a real-life environment. To conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis at the institution where she works while developing deeper insight into the economic crisis in Europe
Placement: Think tank and public interest lobby for European socio- economic affairs
Responsibilities as intern:
 Conduct research on European budget for the debates of the 2019-2020 budget underway
 Compare European budget and American federal budget, examining public and private financing options
 Complete various administrative tasks as well as translations to assist supervisor at think tank.
Subject of research: Debt and Instability: A reinterpretation of austerity and growth in the eurozone
And... Inni extended her internship over the summer and had the opportunity to travel to the Balkins to debate the topic of European integration with other European–focused students.
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