For this blog, I sat down with Sara, one of our two UNESCO Fellows for the 2024/25 cohort, alongside Nene. Originally from Palestine, Sara brings a wealth of experience from her diverse educational and professional background. As a friend and fellow student, I’ve learned a lot from our conversations over the past semester and am grateful for the eye-opening exchanges we’ve had, which even this … Continue reading Meet Sara – UNESCO Fellow ’24
Hi everyone, I’m Ana from Trossingen, Germany, and I will be responsible for the IEDP blog this year! You’ll also meet some guest writers on the way and hopefully get an overview of what it means to be a part of the International Educational Development Program at Penn and what we experience while being a master’s student. Our semester began just a week ago, and … Continue reading Introducing the 2024-2025 IEDP Cohort!
For this feature, Chippie wanted to focus on the set of conditions, considerations, and aspirations that ultimately led him to apply to and enroll in the IEDP. Chippie is from Malawi, a place he always reminds us is famously known as the Warm Heart of Africa. His roots are in Blantyre, in the Southern region of the country, where he conducted most of his studies. … Continue reading Malawi Fellow Chipiliro Kasiyamphanje on his Journey to the IEDP & Reflections on his First Semester
& all the ways we said goodbye. Hi everyone, I’m Jes and I will be your default narrator this year! Our semester began just 4 weeks ago. I’m still getting to know my cohort mates and all the ways our individual paths have converged at the IEDP. Together, we represent 16 countries spread across 3 continents and speak over 20 languages. Not only do we … Continue reading Introducing the 2023 IEDP Cohort!
Dear Readers, We are done with two wonderful semesters of the IEDP and are unable to fathom how quickly it went by. Some of us are gearing up for Summer courses, some are planning itineraries for their internships, and some are graduating already! It is a bittersweet feeling; we are excited about thriving in the world outside of Penn and also nostalgic about our memories … Continue reading A Message For Future IEDPers: With Love, From the GAs
Hi prospective IEDPers! My name is Sam Nguyen. I’m a dual degree student in IEDP and Nonprofit Leadership (NPL) at the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) at Penn. I’m happy to share my experience as a dual degree student, especially as application deadlines are fast approaching. What is the dual degree application process like?Although there are a range of dual degree options available … Continue reading Diving Into A Dual Degree
Jesus “Louie” Zuniga flaunted his boots and cowboy hat during a recitation hour session where we shared something about our backgrounds with the rest of the cohort. Houston, Texas, is home to him. Growing up in a large metropolis got him curious about different people, languages, and cultures. It probably explains why he chose to study a year abroad in Brazil as an economics and … Continue reading Wall Street to Walnut Street: Louie Zuniga, Coverdell Fellow
Chiara is a first-year IEDP student from Northern California, United States. She is interested in inclusive education and early childhood development In February 2021, I received an email with this subject heading: “Congratulations on Being Accepted to Penn GSE – International Educational Development Program (IEDP)!” I was sitting in my living room and, if I’m being completely honest, I was checking my email every 10 … Continue reading What to Expect When You’re Accepting?
Just a couple of months ago I made the move from the four walls of my parent’s home in Pune, India, to being within the four walls of the unit I share with my classmates in Philadelphia, PA. Why I chose to move countries this Spring despite another virtual semester still perplexes my parents. But as some of you reading this would understand, pandemic or not, I’d rather be as close … Continue reading Across the Atlantic: Tips from my move
Hi all. For the blog post for this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Wamweni. Last semester, Wamweni and I spent many many hours on Zoom working on our group technical proposals, so it was great to be able to learn about her experiences outside of class. Below are the main highlights of our conversation: Leslie: Can you tell us a little a bit … Continue reading Wamweni’s Words of Wisdom
The International Educational Development Program 