As a Thomas R. Pickering Fellow, an honor that I received with assistance from the staff of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research, I had the privilege of interning at the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs (more commonly referred to as the China Desk) at the State Department this past summer.

Although it is probably every intern’s dream to do more than just copying and shredding papers at their internship, with only a B.A. degree under my belt and no previous government-related internship experience, I started my internship on the China Desk with minimal expectations for my assigned responsibilities. Contrary to my expectations, however, my summer internship was filled with a multitude of challenges that enabled me to apply my knowledge to a real-world setting, as well as endless opportunities for direct engagement in the policy-making process.

During my first month on the China Desk, I was already excited and satisfied when tasked with attending and reporting on meetings both within and outside the State Department and drafting replies to incoming Congressional correspondence. Supporting the China Desk Director, Deputy Director and Desk officers at these meetings helped fulfill my goal of witnessing and engaging in the interagency policy-making process first hand.

As an aspiring diplomat who has always been immensely interested in China affairs, particularly U.S.-China relations, being able to read the latest updates on their bilateral relations and see diplomats negotiating right in front of my own eyes was indeed a major treat. Yet, at the time, I did not know that the highlight of my summer was still awaiting me.

As we hit July, my office was getting busier and busier and before I knew it, I was part of “Erica’s (the State Coordinator for the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, often referred to as the S&ED) Army.” Along with the other interns on the China Desk, I was excited to just have the opportunity to work on a very high profile project. After all, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner, their Chinese counterparts, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier Wang Qishan, as well as many other high level American and Chinese officials were participants.

Initially we devoted our efforts to editing and compiling briefing materials for senior State Department officials to use in high-level negotiations, but soon we were entrusted with responsibilities interns could only dream of having! Our 9-hour workdays eventually turned into more than 12 hours ones. From providing logistical support and advanced coordination to meeting high-level officials from the Chinese Embassy in preparation for the S&ED, I was especially overjoyed to have the opportunity to practice being a diplomat in a real life setting.

When the S&ED, which took place in Washington, D.C. from July 27 to July 28, finally occurred, I was privileged to witness first-hand American and Chinese officials discussing a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues that carry strategic and economic implications for U.S.-China relations in both the short and long-term. My optimism for the future of U.S.-China relations was emboldened when I noticed diplomats of both countries cooperating with each other to address shared interests while acknowledging the differences that exist in the relationship.

To sum it up, my summer internship on the China Desk was truly an experience of a lifetime. Although my involvement in the S&ED, especially being able to shake hands with Secretary Clinton and the two top Chinese officials at the Dialogue defined my summer, the unending support and guidance that I received from everyone on the China Desk helped make my experience there truly memorable. This experience also reconfirmed my interest in international affairs, especially U.S.-China relations, and my desire to pursue a career in diplomacy.

Thao Anh is a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, where she double majored in International Affairs (with concentrations in International Politics and Asia) and Asian Studies. In 2007, she studied abroad in Hangzhou and Beijing, China and is currently on a Fulbright grant in Yanji, China conducting research on the role of the ethnic Korean community in facilitating Sino-North Korean relations. Upon her return to the U.S., Thao Anh will pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

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This summer, I was awarded the extraordinary opportunity to intern at The Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, D.C. As an Intern in the Public Relations Office, some of my responsibilities included contacting various media outlets interested in creating feature stories about VOA, drafting press releases, giving studio tours, and promoting VOA’s events and broadcasts on social media and networking sites.

The Voice of America is one of five entities in the International Broadcasting Bureau, which is funded by the United States government. VOA’s programming is broadcast in 45 languages across the world via radio, television, and the internet, particularly in countries where there is a clear and apparent absence of free press and media.

The Voice of America’s mission since the organization began in 1942 has been to broadcast reliable, objective, and comprehensive stories to audiences which now total over 134 million people across the globe.

During my internship, stories that VOA covered included President Barack Obama’s trips to Russia, Ghana, and Italy for the G8 Summit, the political coup in Honduras, and the elections in Iran. VOA’s broadcasts received increased attention with the events after Iran’s presidential elections; nearly 25% of Iranian adults watch VOA programming each week. Iranians on the scene sent their own personal videos and photos to VOA, increasing the role of citizen journalists and enhancing the credibility of the broadcasts.

The Voice of America, while not known by many Americans, is easily recognized by other nations around the world. Broadcasters at VOA are often considered celebrities by their audiences, just as we would recognize our local broadcasters on Channels 4, 7, and 9 here in Washington.

Voice of America is not only the largest U.S. international broadcasting organization, but also serves as a pulpit for describing U.S. policy to countries around the world. Stories describe the lifestyle and culture of Americans; these “Americana” stories give insight to global audiences about the United States and its people.

Interning in the Public Relations Office provided a unique opportunity to watch various radio and television broadcasts from the many language services at VOA. As a student with an interest in journalism, witnessing live broadcasts and news firsthand was an unforgettable experience.

I was able to draft press releases and write my own stories about Voice of America that were posted on the organization’s website. The topics of my two stories included the use of Social Media when covering the reactions to President Obama’s address in Cairo and the Spanish Service’s exclusive story about the winner of an award from the Cartoonists’ Rights Network International.

Voice of America’s internship program extends throughout the organization, with over eighty interns working in the language services, the Newsroom, engineering, and public relations. The interns at VOA came from various colleges and universities across the United States and were able to meet with the managing editor of Voice of America and a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

I would encourage all students to obtain an internship during their college years. Internships allow students to recognize their own interests and to gain real-world work experience while continuing their studies.

Not only was I able to work along side the full time staff in the office, but also I was given my own tasks and projects. Interning at the Voice of America increased my interest in journalism and the study of international affairs. I have an even greater awareness and appreciation of the role of media in diplomacy and the shaping of international policy. The Voice of America continues to fulfill its mission in airing impartial and credible stories to its global audiences while providing them a vital outlet to voice their thoughts and firsthand accounts of the events in their countries.

Caitlin is an International Affairs major at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Originally from Philadelphia, she is a member of the Class of 2012. She plans to concentrate in International Economics and European/Eurasian Studies. At GW she works in the Marvin Center, writes for The Hatchet, and gives tours to prospective students and their families through the STAR program. She worked with the Student Activities Center this past summer volunteering as a guide for the freshmen pre-semester co-curricular program Experience D.C.

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• The Social Enterprise Frontier

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Networking with peers at an academic conference in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Thao Anh Tran

Between meeting and discussing with students across the globe my shared interest in East Asian affairs and seeing North Korea from the Peace Observatory in the DMZ, this past week served as an incredible learning opportunity for me.

As a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, I am particularly grateful for the financial support I received from the Elliott School Undergraduate Scholars Program. The funding enabled me to participate as a delegate in the Security workshop at the 2009 Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Academic Conference, which was held in Seoul from August 14th to August 17th. Every year HPAIR brings together hundreds of the brightest minds, both students and experts in the field of international relations for discussion on economic, political, and social issues pertinent to the East Asia-Pacific region.

Originally I was extremely worried that I would appear out of place when engaging in discussion of complex issues with future leaders in the field of international relations. Fortunately, my mind was immediately put to ease when I realized my familiarity with the topics of discussion. I was first introduced to issues such as U.S. policy in East Asia, Inter-Korean relations, the rise of China, Japan’s Asia policy, ASEAN, and ‘comfort women’ in Professor Mochizuki’s PSC 175 International Relations of East Asia course during my junior year. The knowledge I gained from that course gave me the confidence to debate with the other participants on ways to resolve the history problem that plagues relations between the countries in Northeast Asia.

My participation in HPAIR not only helped me gain a more in-depth understanding of issues of major concern to East Asian countries, but also enabled me to engage in forthright discussions with fellow participants about the future of the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, from my field trip to major cultural attractions in Seoul and interaction with the Korean delegation, I learned a great deal about the Korean culture and picked up a few useful Korean phrases. I also gained numerous friendships with participants from all across the globe. From now on, whenever I travel to countries as far as Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, and Israel, I know I can count on these friends to help me navigate their countries.

Taking in the sites of Seoul, South Korea with new friends. Photo: Thao Anh Tran

By the end of the conference, I could not help but felt great pride as an Elliott School alumna. The Elliott School’s reputation as a renowned institution of international affairs is indisputable and far-reaching. When fellow participants discovered I recently graduated from the Elliott School, I instantly became a ‘human attraction’ for those who plan to attend the Elliott School in the near future.

While I am saddened by the fact that I will not be able to continue to enroll in interesting East Asia-related courses at the Elliott School, I think current and prospective students can take comfort in the fact that their education at the Elliott School will give them the needed preparation and confidence to succeed in the field of international affairs.

Thao Anh is a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, where she double majored in International Affairs (with concentrations in International Politics and Asia) and Asian Studies. In 2007, she studied abroad in Hangzhou and Beijing, China and is currently on a Fulbright grant in Yanji, China conducting research on the role of the ethnic Korean community in facilitating Sino-North Korean relations. Upon her return to the U.S., Thao Anh will pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

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“I come from nowhere.” –Andy Warhol

MEDZILABORCE, Slovakia – Welcome to nowhere, two small Slovak border towns called Mikova and Medzilaborce, but more widely known as the obscure Eastern European genesis of America’s most famous pop artist, whose mother was born nearby.

Surrounded by monuments to the Red Army and overshadowed by an Orthodox dome, the museum built in Andy Warhol’s honor appears painfully out of place. When we arrived at 3 p.m., we were the day’s first visitors.

After a debate with the single staff member, a clerk in her early 20s, about whether the museum was open, we were admitted, mostly because I was an American. Although there are signs prohibiting photography, my Polish traveling companions didn’t hesitate to reproduce the collection with flashes on.

A Pennsylvania native, I had visited Pittsburgh’s Warhol museum two years earlier. The top floor was devoted to an exhibit of his homoeroticism. Another exhibit showed the oxidation prints created when Warhol urinated on exposed copper plating.

As we wandered from room to room turning on lights, I realized that the biggest difference between the two museums – besides visitors – is the artist. Warhol dropped the vowel from the end of his name to Americanize it, but make no mistake: It is Andrzej Warhola who is on display here.

Warhola was a good Communist. A popular exhibit here includes suddenly non-ironic prints of Lennon and Mao. Hammers and sickles outnumber soup cans.

In Warhola’s world, Ingrid Bergman dressed as a nun outdazzles Marilyn Monroe. The artist’s baptismal certificate is on display, as well as the Catholic liturgy from his funeral service. Surprising only to me, there is a snapshot of Warhola meeting with Pope John Paul II.

Warhola wasn’t homosexual. He had a girlfriend who shot him because he wouldn’t marry her. The only eroticism in this museum is a few colored pencil sketches, tastefully hidden behind a nook in the wall, similar to the way the more graphic scenes of the Holocaust are displayed at the Auschwitz visitor’s center, located only a few hours’ drive away.

Only a handful of my students in Tarnawa have heard of Andy. On our way out, my Polish friends thanked me for inspiring them to see the museum. Warhola many have been a famous American artist, but he wasn’t so different from them. Practically Polish.

Readers interested in more information about the Slovakian Museum of Andy Warhol can watch the documentary film Absolut Warhola.

William is a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs and concentrating in Europe and Eurasian Studies. In the summer of 2009, he taught students in Poland through Learning Enterprises and has also taught in D.C. with the AnBryce Institute.

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After studying Arabic for the last academic year and getting a taste of financial management through a course at the Business School, I decided in the spring that it would be good to get some experience in finance in an Arab country. With a background in political science, Japanese studies and anthropology, I figured it would be hard to start managing a Gulf-based investment fund right away. Instead, I decided to look for an opportunity in microfinance.

My interest in international development and base-of-pyramid business models made me curious about this much-praised approach to help ‘the poor’. Especially after setting up a team of Students in Free Enterprise at GW, I was curious to see how other organizations stimulate entrepreneurship. All the while, it would give me an opportunity to test my newly acquired finance and language skills in a new environment.

So I went online, looked for microfinance organizations anywhere in the Arab world (strategically omitting Afghanistan) and send them e-mails offering my services as an intern. Of the scores of messages sent, just a few resulted in a reply. But eventually, I only needed one, so when Al Majmoua in Lebanon asked me to do an Activity-Based cost analysis to look for ways to improve their profitability, my plans for the summer were sealed.

I had already met several people from Lebanon at GW, so I had heard all kinds of stories about it. But when I saw Beirut by night through the window of the airplane, I had no idea what it would be like to live there for 2.5 months. After having been here for about six weeks, I have had all kinds of pleasant and unpleasant surprises.

As I was told, Lebanon is indeed a beautiful country. However, most cities aren’t beautiful at all, and in general the view of the magnificent mountains and Mediterranean sea is spoiled by ugly apartment buildings and excessive billboards (attracting most attention are the large lingerie advertisements with a warning in the top-corner saying “Keep your eyes on the road”). Using Arabic in real life is much harder than I thought it would be, but I finally reached the point that taxi drivers approvingly concede “Ah, btehki ‘arabi” after I’ve explained them where I want to go in their own language.

And then there’s the development part. In a way, Lebanon is always in development. Frequent wars have ensured that buildings are always in need of repair or total reconstruction, and a vast diaspora of emigrated Lebanese spend their dollars, euros and pesos when they come back during summer, generating a large inflow of hard currency. This results in ten-dollar beers in the most popular bars, while many Lebanese can’t afford to spend that amount daily on food.

Working for an NGO that is offering financial services to the poor gives an interesting viewpoint of these different social strata. First of all, it is interesting to see how policy differs from practice when comparing the procedures designed at the head office and the daily routine of loan analysts in the field. When I’m thinking about this discrepancy between management and staff in one organization operating in a small country like Lebanon, I can only guess how hard and inefficient it must be to design a development policy for a country across the ocean from an office at the World Bank or IMF in Washington, D.C.

Another eye-opener was that I soon understood the reasoning behind the reckless mortgage providers that led to the financial crisis. Even if you run a considerable risk, the profit on large loans is so high that it is very tempting to disregard safe lending practices. Which brings me to another dilemma: should a development organization go for the profit, or for the impact? Of course, the organization has to be financially sustainable. Right now, Al Majmoua doesn’t need external funding to maintain daily operations, but it does if it wants to expand. In addition, it might be able to lower interest rates if it generated more profits.

Today I was having a discussion about this with my manager. She insisted that Al Majmoua should serve the lowest-income groups, meaning that it would issue mainly small loans (between $500 and $2000). However, I was proposing to increase both principal and maturity to generate more income and allow for lower interest rates. Eventually, it will be a balancing act to keep serving Al Majmoua’s target group while generating enough profits for expansion. I still have one more month in Beirut to find a way to do this.

Bram was born and raised in the picturesque Dutch town of Beerze before going to university in Leiden. Now a resident of Washington, D.C., Bram is an M.A. International Trade and Investment Policy student, focusing on International Business. He is also the chairman of Students in Free Enterprise GWU.

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Hi again everyone! I am writing about my experiences with the online courses that The George Washington University offers during the summer. This is probably of interest to those of you who may have fallen behind on one or two requirements or are just interested in getting ahead!

GW offers some of the same courses that they offer during the regular school year throughout the summer online.  They are mostly six-week courses (the summer is divided into two sessions of six weeks each) and are all worth their usual credit amounts, be it 3 or 4 credits. They also fulfill the same requirements that they would during the regular school year.  These courses,  run mostly through your online Blackboard portal, can be a great way to take courses that you know will count for college credit while satisfying your GW major requirements as well – all while balancing a job and/or other summer activities! You don’t need to be on campus, in D.C., or even in the United States to take these courses – so long as you have access to the internet, you are good to go.

Professors are very available to talk via email and usually respond quite quickly. One heads up though is that the content of these courses are the same as when regularly offered at GW, so still cover the same amount of material but in just six weeks during the summer.  This means that the courses do require a fair bit of reading and time, but I have found that they are really worth it.

I took two courses online last summer and I am now in my second online course again this summer. Last summer I took ENGL 081 W – Intro to Creative Writing and REL 120 – Religions Wage Peace. Both of these courses counted towards my Humanities and Creative Arts requirements and I was able take these courses while having an internship at the same time! This summer I am at the same internship while balancing two more courses. These are HIST 182 – US Diplomatic History and GEOG 127 – Population Geography. So far I have really enjoyed my courses and am very satisfied with my decision to take them online during the summer.

If you are interested in learning more about what GW has to offer for summer online courses or anything else related to the summer take a look at their website

Elizabeth is a rising junior majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Contemporary Cultures and Societies.  She is also pursuing a second major in Philosophy-Public Affairs and a minor in Applied Ethics.

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• Need Help Balancing Your Schedule?

Well summer time is right around the corner, and while many people already have solid plans for their summer, a lot of us don’t. Not having any classes makes it easy to get lazy, and before you know it… September has arrived, and your entire summer is gone. A key lesson that I wish I had had instilled in me early on was the value in maximizing every aspect of the summer, not just to relax, but to also advance my educational and career goals.

With that in mind, there are a few things that both upper and lower classman should keep in mind before heading into the summer. While there are no hard and fast rules about what makes for a “good summer,” there are definitely a few different avenues that can help you fully capitalize on all of the opportunities the summer months can provide.

These are a few main points to keep in mind.

If you can, find a field-contextual job or internship.

Yes, this is always easier said than done. And seeing as it is already May, if you haven’t found a job or internship already you will probably have a difficult time finding one now. Nevertheless, as you approach the end of your college tenure, it is vital to use any and all opportunities you can to gain valuable work experience. It is this kind of work experience that can help set you apart when you enter the job in the near future. Anything that can help to set you apart from your peers when you’re going for that dream job right out of school is absolutely worth sacrificing a few lazy months for. Of course, on top of that, finding a great job or internship is a great way to have fun and involve yourself in the professional field you’re most interested in. It’s a win-win from every angle.

Keep up your foreign language!

I’ve personally found this to be one of the more challenging aspects of the summer months. For anyone studying a foreign language (and most of us in the Elliott School are), those few months of no classes in the summer can really do serious damage to language progress. There are a few ways to tackle the problem though: if you’re staying in D.C. over the summer, the city itself offers a number of opportunities to use your language skills with other speakers. A city with the diversity (and number of universities and colleges) of D.C. enables you to find others with which to practice your language in the summer months, giving you the chance to at least moderately stem the inevitable regression of your language in the absence of classes. Another option to is simply continue taking classes throughout the summer.

If you’re in D.C., GW obviously gives you the ability to keep taking classes to enhance your language skills. But if you go home, check out any local universities or colleges that might offer classes in your language. If you think you can pull it off, traveling to country/countries where your foreign language is spoken is perhaps the best way to practice your language. Bottom line: engaging in even a little bit of practice over the summer can help to keep you a step ahead of your peers when you get going again in the fall.

Study for graduate exams.

If you’re an upperclassman, the summer months provide no better opportunity than to brush up on the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, or whatever standardized test you might need before applying to grad schools. The abundance of extra time most people have in the summer makes for the perfect chance to get yourself ready to take that oh-so-critical exam that you’ll need to take the next step up to grad school.

These are just a few of many options available to students to utilize the summer in a way that advances your goals. Taking classes to kill those dreaded GCR’s, doing non-profit work, conducting field-contextual reading, writing, and research, along with a whole host of other opportunities ensure that no student has an excuse to let their summer slip away. Just don’t get to the end of your summer and look back and wonder what, if anything, you did that was at all productive.

The summer is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself from your peers, and prepare you for your post-GW life….don’t let it go to waste!

Alex is a junior majoring in International Affairs and Asian Studies.  He has studied abroad in Beijing, China, and hopes to continue studying East Asian relations in graduate school.