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From: IEDP PennGSE [email protected]: Fall Days at IEDP: October/November 2015 Newsletter
Date: November 15, 2015 at 5:59 PMTo: Lauren [email protected]
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IEDP@PennGSE Newsletter October/November 2015
From the EditorAs I look out at the beautiful fall foliage from my window, I can'tbelieve that we're more than halfway done with the semester! Therelaxed first few weeks of class suddenly turned into a flurry of
Oct.Highlights
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relaxed first few weeks of class suddenly turned into a flurry ofgroup projects, midterms, weekend trips, and activity. Although it'sgetting colder and the workload has increased significantly, there isstill plenty to be cheerful about. With Thanksgiving approaching, I'djust like to say thank you to everyone in IEDP. In light of recentevents - protests against racism at universities across the US, toturmoil worldwide - it can be hard to make sense of it all, let alonefigure our own role in making the world a better place. I couldn't askfor a better group of people with whom to make that journey. It isgood to know that we can lean on each other for good humor,knowing glances when others make international developmentjokes, spontaneous renditions of "Happy Birthday" at New DeckTavern, and the same shared desire to make the most of this (short)year we've got together.
Until the next issue,Athena Lao (IEDP-M '16) - Newsletter Editor
OCTOBER FAST FACTSBy the numbers: 3 days until regular registration for
spring semester classes opens (Nov. 17), 12 days
until Thanksgiving (where will you be?), and (only!)
34 days until Winter Break
Current Hip Hangout: Van Pelt Weigle Information
Commons (those private study rooms? Perfect for
group work)
Quotable Quote: "More research is needed."
On Our Minds: Midterms, "Proposals," research
projects, blogs, finals, indecisive weather
How We're De-stressing: Thursday Happy Hours,
Halloween festivities, weekend trips to NY or DC, cafe
tours, Wine & Cheese, commiserating, fall photos,
supporting IEDPers at dance festivals and
performances
IEDP FACULTYCOFFEECONNECTIONS: OnOct. 23, IEDP hostedan intimate coffee hourat Capo Giro with Prof.Thapa (see ourinterview with himbelow). Five luckystudents conversedwith Prof. Thapa aboutlife, economics,education, passion, andeverything inbetween. It was afantastic event, and thefirst of many to come!
PUMPKIN CARVING: OnHalloween, 17 IEDPers andfriends partook inthe traditional American art ofdrawing strange shapes andfaces into large, edible gourds.For many of our internationalstudents, it was their first timecarving a pumpkin! IEDPersalso decorated Halloweencookies and enjoyed anassortment of seasonal
performances
Faculty Spotlight:
Amrit ThapaDr. Amrit Thapa recently joined IEDP as anadjunct Assistant Professor of Economics ofEducation. Originally from Nepal, Thapareceived his PhD from Columbia University.He splits his time between New York City and Philadelphia, as wellas between his research and teaching commitments. We appreciatethat he made time out of his busy schedule to talk to us!
Q: You mentioned in class that you chose to study economicsinstead of management. How did you make the choice topursue economics?A: Economics fascinated me because it is such an interdisciplinaryfield, with multiple fields of knowledge within it. I had a greatprofessor who had studied at Wharton for his PhD, VishwanathPandit, who inspired me. I was curious to study development andgrowth, finding answers to why poor countries are poor and how wecan help in their growth and development. I strongly believe thateducation plays a huge role in the development of a country, andbreaks the vicious cycle of poverty. This is why I would like toinvestigate more on the role of education in economic development.
My PhD dissertation was in the study of private and public schools—the impact of private school competition on public schoolperformance, with focus on Nepal. Many of the studies available onthis topic for a country like Nepal are either qualitative studies; oreven if there are quantitative studies, they lack the methodologicalrigor. This is why I have and will continue to focus my research ondeveloping countries.
Q: In your opinion, what particular areas of development, with afocus on education, can be done better?A: Educating girls and women is one area we need to continue tofocus on. There’s a saying: “If you educate a male, you educate oneperson; if you educate a female, you educate the whole household.”And that is very true for developing countries. The other area is thepotential of community participation. Community schools are morecommon these days, and available evidence indicates that they areperforming slightly better than public schools. Often the governmentis not able to provide sufficient resources for public schools. I alsofeel that there is a lot of potential in education for public-privatepartnerships.
Q: What advice do youhave for students who areinterested in focusing oneconomics while pursuinginternational developmentand education work?
snacks. For more pictures,check out the AdmissionsBlog!
CONFERENCES: Thisfall, IEDPers haveattended conferencesat Penn, as well as inNew York City andWashington, D.C.Attending conferencesis an integral part oflearning about theinternationaldevelopment field.
IN THE NEWS: Octoberfeatured many news itemsrelevant to IEDP:To mark both the unveiling ofthe SDGs and Pope Francis'visit to Philly, Prof. Wagnerwrote a piece on "A PapalEducation" in ProjectSyndicate. Check it out here.
In addition, the followingcelebrations took place inOctober:Oct. 5 - World Teachers' DayOct. 10 - International Day ofthe Girl ChildOct. 24 - 70th Anniversary ofthe Founding of the UnitedNations
and education work?A: Get the basics right. Havegood knowledge of statisticsand microeconomics. The
field is evolving and interdisciplinary, so be open to ideas andlessons coming from around the world and across the disciplines. [Photo: Prof. Thapa at Faculty Coffee with IEDPers]
IEDP Creations:EDUC 514 Student Blogs
IEDPers enrolled in Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher's 514 section
were tasked with creating group blogs on themes relevant to
IEDP. Check out some of their work at the following links:
--Zero 2 Eight (Early Childhood Education)
--Education 911 (Education in Emergency and Conflict
settings)
--Edu4Who ([Re]defining Education: Power, Policy, and
Practice in Post-Colonial Societies)
--Education and Globalization (Fresh Perspectives, Analysis
and Opinions on Educational Issues Around the World)
Alumni Corner: Maha Laziri
Each month, IEDP will feature a different alumnus or alumna. This month, we talk to Maha Laziri, who is originally from Morocco. Before IEDP, she studied International Development at Al Akhawayn University and startedthe NGO Teach for Morocco, whichworks on issues of access to primary and early child education in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
Q: What was the best class you ever took at IEDP and why?A: It's hard for me to choose a favorite class, because I took many great classes at Penn. However, one that stood out for me was "Basic Education in Developing Countries" with Dr. Wagner. It helped me transition from thinking about education in the simplistic "common sense" way to really viewing education as scientific inquiry. It helped me to differentiate in education between what Dr. Wagner calls "the noise and the message."
Q: What is a great memory of IEDP program that you have? A: Often, we pay attention to the fact that IEDP is so full of diversity and people are from many different countries. But I was actually struck by the fact that, in spite of this, we are actually so similar to each other in our ethics, our vision of the world, and the way we think. The mindset we share is so unique to IEDP! And when you
IEDP ONLINE: Want to learnmore about the IEDPexperience? Check usout on social media (linksbelow): 1) Read about one IEDPer'sjourney on our AdmissionsBlog, or scroll through photoson our Tumblr Photo Blog 2) See IEDP profiles throughour Facebook "Face of theWeek"3) Keep up with the latestnews on our Twitter4) Watch videos onour Youtube page5) If you're a current student,alumnus/a, or affiliated staff,join us on LinkedIn6) If you have suggestions forfuture newsletter items, orcorrections, please email us [email protected]
Out andAbout...
think. The mindset we share is so unique to IEDP! And when you graduate, you graduate with global support system. We are each others' counselors, best friends...so many things to each other after graduation. And it's so impressive to become all of those things after only 9 months. Q: What did you do after graduating from IEDP? A: Originally, I didn't want to stay in the US. I wanted to go back to Morocco. But I was fortunate to get a job in New York City at the Clinton Foundation, serving as an International Associate for the Middle East and Africa. In this job, I was using skills that in some ways, I had forgotten about, or didn't realize would be so useful - like my Arabic and my knowledge of Morocco. I realized I could serve Morocco without being there. However, after the project ended, it ended up that I could not work for 6 months because of issues with my visa - a problem that many international students face. At that point, I figured I could either curse my life, or do something. So at the moment, I'm volunteering with the organization Education for Employment, and I teach interactive geography once a week in the Bronx with the Citizen Schools program. I've learned about the realities of immigrant children in the USA and have become much more interested in education in the US. It's been a good learning experience. Q: What is one lesson / quote that you took away from IEDP that you found applicable to live afterwards? A: One lesson I'll always carry with me is that good intentions are not enough. Education tends to be a romanticized and emotionalized sector in public discourse. But education is a science. And the way we deal with the issues in it should be the same as how we deal with any other matter of scientific inquiry.
Q: What's one piece of advice you have for current IEDPers?A: You will face many challenges, but it's important to explore as many aspects of education as possible. We are actually working at the intersections of development, education, and our regional interest, so we need to learn how to filter out the "noise" and focus on the meaningful "messages." Stay open, and be resilient.
Enjoying the last sunny daysof fall at Philly outside...
20+ strong at the PennSymphony Orchestra
concert
Chatting with IEDP alumnaShruti Bhat for Technical
Proposal advice
Celebrating birthdaysthe best way: together!
At a celebration of Navratri, aHindu festival
Copyright ©2015 IEDP at PennGSE, All rights reserved.Editor: Athena Lao || Writer: Raines Taylor || Photo Credits: Shriram Chauhan, Guerdiana Thelomar,
Winnifred Arthur, Lauren SciclunaContact us: [email protected]
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Penn GSE International Educational Development Program · 3700 Walnut Street · Philadelphia, Pa 19104 · USA
