Global Work Experiences
Programs Overview
Northeastern University is a leader in experiential education developing global co-ops and internships, study abroad and Dialogue of Civilizations programs. Currently global co-ops are in 145+ countries around the world. Northeastern as a global university operates campuses in the US, Canada and the UK and fosters lifelong learning on all formats including onsite, hybrid and remote.
Global Work Experiences are designed to introduce students to immersive professional environments by strengthen skills and qualities and provide a platform for meaningful and productive exchanges with global peers and partners. Students may prefer to engage in a shorter term work experience such as a virtual program or bootcamp. The programs below describe such offerings.
Global Work Citizen Badge
About
To prepare students for the exciting and complex experience of living and working abroad, Employer Engagement and Career Design, in partnership with the Colleges, launched an immersive one-month virtual badge program offering an early introduction to 23 global partners – employers, universities and agencies (third party providers). This Northeastern badge program is Level 2, non-credited, free of cost and open to all students.
Learners experienced different cultures and work-places around the world through interactive group projects with peers from abroad, exposure to global industry partners and alumni, guided reflection sessions, and self-directed readings and activities. Participants demonstrated an understanding of their place within global markets, the impact of their work on communities abroad, and their ability to contribute to diverse teams with a sense of cultural humility.
“My biggest takeaway from the program is that the entire globe is open to me in terms of working opportunities and just real-life experiences. I shouldn’t cross anywhere off my list of future destinations, and should stay open-minded through any application process.” GWC Program Participant
“Cultural humility is very important. Communication is key for multicultural teams.” “I hope this will become a class someday or maybe become integrated into the co-op class.” GWC Program Participant
Applications for GWC 2023 will open in April 2023.
For information about this program, please reach out to:
Aspa Papanastasiou, [email protected]
Rebecca Westerling [email protected]
Moving the Cities
About
Moving the Cities project is a global interdisciplinary initiative supported by UAS7, the consortium of German universities of applied science. It aims to bring together students, faculty, industry leaders and staff for an exciting and resourceful exchange. The goal of Moving the Cities is to look at regional challenges that cities face from a global perspective. International teams compete against each other and end the week by presenting their unique solutions following innovative approaches to tackle their respective challenges. UAS7 is one of Northeastern’s global co-op partners offering research co-ops in Germany. In 2021 Northeastern students participated in the finals
Pleased to share second year virtual participation for NU in Brazil! Nine Huskies were the ambassadors to this year’s challenge on the United Nations SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our bright engineers, computer scientists, business and management specialists managed to get 4 teams to the finals!
The program was hosted by UNISINOS, a leading business and technology-focused University in San Leopoldo, Brazil, in cooperation with FH Muenster, University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
Benefits to Northeastern students
- it is a free, non-credit, intercultural exchange strengthening participants’ technical, cross-cultural and leadership skills
- students get introduced to a global network of collaborators, industry partners and new friends
- participants receive a Certificate from UNISINOS, one of the key organizers and a top private research institution in Brazil
- a first multidisciplinary exposure to companies that may lead to other global work experiences, including global co-ops
This slideshow below outlines what one might expect when participating in Moving the Cities 2022. Click here to view.
Northeastern – Climate Change and Sustainability
Combatting climate change can’t wait. We’re all in. Through partnerships, education, and research, Northeastern is driving the ideas, discoveries, and action to ensure that communities everywhere are sustainable, resilient, and equitable. To read more about sustainability and Northeastern and how to get involved, click here
MTC 2022 Project Coordinator and Coach
Aspa Papanastasiou, Associate Director, Global Partnerships
Aspa oversees the marketing, student recruitment and facilitation of MTC bootcamp
Joshua Nooij, MS, Environmental Science and Policy ’21 Alum
Joshua participated in the inaugural program and returned this year as an MTC Coach. Joshua is currently pursuing his PhD in The Netherlands.
“As a fully online student, I sought out virtual opportunities to connect with the Northeastern community. While I was initially unsure of what this program involved, I was intrigued by the opportunity to work with students from around the globe. Working with people from different disciplines with various lived experiences gave all of us the opportunity to understand the cultural impacts on business solutions for common societal problems. Our team consisted of students from the US, Brazil, Chile, and Germany. Beyond working on our problem, we were able to spend time getting to know one another, teaching each other about our individual cultures, and working through communication barriers. Moving the Cities reminded me how diverse our world is, while also showing all of us how accessible it becomes through technology. I networked on a global level and have maintained relationships with several of my team members. While I’m not sure that the experience necessarily changed the trajectory of my career path, it was empowering and motivating.” Nicole Howard, MTC 2021 Participant
Group Global Co-ops
*******These programs will be postponed for spring 2023. If you are interested in any of the agency partners and locations mentioned here, please contact Aspa Papanastasiou at [email protected] ********
Northeastern is offering, for the first time, a new exciting way of thinking about global co-ops. The cohort co-op program offers participants a powerful combination of experiential education in a group setting. Students will enjoy a unique professional experience abroad while being supported by a network of fellow classmates – from selection to completion. You will have the opportunity to travel, live, and work with your fellow Huskies.
In response to student demand in specific locations around the globe, we engaged our trusted agency partners to create Group Global Co-op opportunities in the following cities:
Click on each city to learn more!
Students can review program details here and in NUworks.