Let’s Get Them out of the Country! Reflecting on the Value of International Immersion Experiences for MPA Students

Abstract

Public affairs education is beginning to reflect the increasing internationalization of the field. While many of our professors are experienced teachers of international and intercultural content, most of our programs are just starting to provide international immersion experiences. Crafting those opportunities in ways that are accessible to typical graduate students is a monumental, but rewarding, task.

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Sarah E. Ryan

Sarah E. Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Communication, Adjunct Professor of African American Studies, and Research Fellow in The Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Ryan also is an affiliate faculty member in the Centre for Gender, Culture and Development Studies at the Kigali Institute of Education (Rwanda), where she teaches courses in Communication and Social Change, and Research Methods. Her research interests include citizen debate, civic participation, and access to educational opportunities for the poor in the U. S. and in Central Africa. Dr. Ryan will spend the next two years collecting data on Rwandan college students’ knowledge and attitudes about master’s degree education at home or abroad, in a project funded by the government of Norway.