Programs Abroad Get New Funding

For students who have been yearning to stargaze in the southern hemisphere, work in a lab in East Asia, or do cross-cultural research in Cape Town, a new initiative at Harvard may be the answer.

On Nov. 27, the Faculty Committee on Education Abroad and the Office of International Programs (OIP) announced the start of a new study-abroad program—a fund that will allow professors who have designed undergraduate excursions into the outside world to realize their plans.

For the Faculty Innovation Fund Grant, professors from a variety of disciplines were challenged to devise trips abroad for students in their respective departments.

Of the 31 proposals put forward, 15 were chosen to receive grants ranging from $2000 to $8000—and totaling $90,810—for international projects that include opportunities to have summer internships and research in South Africa, Greece, or China; to go on an archeological dig in the U.K.; or take a summer community-service course in Italy.

According to Chair of the Faculty Committee on Education Abroad John H. Coatsworth, the idea was spawned by a desire to increase faculty participation in planning and leading study-abroad trips for undergraduates. It was also intended to encourage faculty members to explore ways they could link study abroad to courses here at Harvard.

“What we learned was that there is very broad faculty interest in linking course studies to experiences in other countries,” he said. “This not only includes the humanities, but social sciences, sciences, and mathematical sciences, as well.”

Jane Edwards, director of the OIP, explained that, in considering how to allocate funding, the committee weighed the budget of each proposal, their own limited funding, and each proposal’s potential for long-term value to students.

“We looked for programs that could provide valuable experience to undergraduates,” she said.

Among the winning proposals was a community service internship in India, proposed by Sugata Bose, Gardiner professor of oceanic history and affairs and director of the South Asia Initiative.

“Students will be offered opportunities to work with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), initially primarily in Tamilnadu, South India, in the field of post-tsunami reconstruction,” wrote Rena Fonseca, the assistant director of the South Asia Initiative and lecturer in history and literature, in an e-mail, speaking for Bose.

Professor of Physics and of Astronomy Christopher W. Stubbs explained that a winning proposal submitted by the Astronomy Department was spurred in part by an article in The Crimson stating that science students are less likely to study abroad.

“We have no problems with that,” he said. “Chile has a significant fraction of the world’s leading astronomical facilities. Students will be able to participate in hands-on research in the astro-physical field.”

In general, the proposals fall into two categories—funding to explore countries for future student programs, and grants that establish trips students can take part in immediately.

William Granara, professor of the practice of Arabic on the Gordon Gray Endowment, will use his fund to investigate the American University of Cairo and Cairo University in Egypt, to consider them as potential sites for summer study, or academic years abroad, for interested students.

One grant for more immediate use went to Gerald Gabrielse, Leverett professor of physics, who proposed sponsorship allowing students to work in his laboratory at the world-renowned CERN in Switzerland.

“For many years, my whole career, actually, I’ve had undergraduates working in my laboratory,” he said. “I’ve usually had European students working with me and I felt it was unfortunate that Harvard students could not participate. I was delighted when I heard about this. As a Harvard professor, I like it when nice things happen to Harvard students.”

The Committee lacked funds to sponsor the week-long field trips proposed by some professors, but one grant offered students the chance to study human rights at Harvard and then apply their knowledge abroad.

“We plan on doing this again in the spring, but will give our colleagues a little more advanced notice of the events,” Coatsworth said.