Global Programs >> Graduate Students >> Global South Program

Global South Program:
Policy and Civil Society
August 21 - December 8, 2006
2007 Program TBD

The Program

Global South pulls together the academic, experiential and professional strands of the MA-IR program to focus on the Latin American region. Global South has three elements: 1) a seminar on the history and politics of twentieth-century Latin America; 2) a seminar on contemporary social, political, and cultural issues in Chile and Latin America; and 3) the choice of either a supervised internship in Chile or an guided research course led by a Chilean academic. These three elements result in nine credits for the MA-IR Program, and place the students in an ideal position for completing their program paper. This program also plays an important role in preparing students for their professional lives.  This is truly a unique opportunity that lets students pursue both their regional interests and their topical concentrations in an environment that lets them experience directly what their studies at Maxwell have introduced. Global South is offered by the International Relations Program, Syracuse University's SU Abroad, and the Program on Latin America and the Caribbean as a collaborative effort.

Part I: Seminar on History and Politics of 20th Century Latin America (IRP 600-Z1)

View 2006 course syllabus

The Latin American History and Politics Seminar is the introductory element of the Global South Program and also serves to pull the program together. This two-week intensive seminar will focus on twentieth-century Chile and Latin America. It will explore the rise and fall of populist, interventionist state projects in Latin America. Current-day globalization and neoliberalism will be explored as reactions to previous forms of state-civil society relations.

The seminar begins informally late in the spring semester prior to departure with (a) a series of discussions about what is going on in Latin America, and (b) meetings of the individual students with the instructor in search of Latin American internships or research topics pertinent to their interests. Following the program orientation in Syracuse in the late spring, and a series of readings assigned over the summer, the seminar officially convenes at the beginning of the fall semester at our site in Chile.  Once there, Karin will help to prepare the students for the immediate demands of their internships and independent studies.  The semester-long program concludes at the end of the fall semester with a collective debriefing.  The credits from this seminar will be applied to the fall semester.

Preparation for the Fall 2004 seminar portion of this program involves reading a course packet and the following works, which will be available at the Orange Bookstore:

1. Peter Winn, Weavers of Revolution: The Yarur Workers and Chile's Road to Socialism
2. Tomás Moulian, Chile actual: Anatomía de un mito
3. Daniel James, Doña María's Story: Life History, Memory, and Political Identity
4. Heidi Tinsman, Partners in Conflict: The Politics of Gender, Sexuality, and Labor in the Chilean Agrarian Reform, 1950-1973
5. Mary Kay Vaughan, Cultural Politics in Revolution: Teachers, Peasants, and Schools in Mexico, 1930-1940

These books and essays will form the basis of discussion when the group meets in Chile.

Part II: The Seminar on Contemporary Latin America (IRP 600-Z2)

This seminar will meet twice a week in Santiago and will be coordinated by Carolina Stefoni, a scholar at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) and current professor at Universidad Alberto Hurtado, in downtown Santiago. Students will do readings, view films and documentaries, and hear invited speakers from academia, policy circles, culture, economy and politics. Professor Stefoni will also coordinate field trips to surrounding cities. Students will also travel to Argentina.  Topics to be covered include human rights, free trade, security, democratization, indigenous peoples, migrations, and gender. 

Part III: The Independent Study (IRP 690)/ Professional Internship in Chile (IRP 600-Z3) Option

View 2006 internship requirements

The third element of the Global South Program includes the choice of either a guided research project or a professional internship. The guided research/ independent study course enables students to research a topic of interest to them. The topics for these independent studies will be developed during the spring prior to departure. In partnership with a Maxwell faculty sponsor, each student defines the parameters of the subject of study and how the work will proceed during the Fall Semester and be evaluated. In Santiago, the student will be paired with a leading academic who will meet regularly with the student during the course of the semester to provide guidance, secure contacts, and provide assistance with bibliography.

Students are prepared to begin challenging internships or research-ships in NGOs, government agencies, and private sector firms involved in international trade, commerce or banking. Former students have interned at such locales as: The Chamber of Commerce, UN Economic Commission for South America and the Caribbean; US Embassy and Consulates, and the Ford Foundation. During the course of the internships, students met twice a week for a seminar and worked on independent research projects.

The internship may be with a governmental, non-governmental or business organization in Chile. The Maxwell faculty member directing the program works with the on-site internship supervisor to ensure a professionally rewarding experience for the student. Such dual supervision includes in-person and electronic modes of communication complemented with site visits by the program director. The students write reports on the objectives of the internship and how it is shaping up and finally offer a critical assessment of it.

Congratulations to the 2006 Global South participants!
Michael LaGiglia: ProChile
Eric Olsen: US Commercial Service, Chile
Ky Sisco: FOSIS or TBA

2005 Global South participants:
Leticia Cano: FOSIS
Jonathan Gupton: DIRECON
Jessica Hartman: FLACSO
Dianna Squillace-Manno: Ciudad Viva

The following list of 2004 Global South participants can only hint at the participants' valuable internship experiences:

Autumn Figueroa: Diego Rojas N 900 (local primary school)
Jonathan Kindron: Direccion General de Exteriores Economicas Internacionales (DIRECON)
Joanne Neukirchen: FLACSO
Matthew Pietz: Amnistia Internacional (AI)
Elizabeth Snyder: Movimiento pro Emancipacion de la Mujer Chilena (MEMCh)

Eligibility

Any student who has been accepted into the Maxwell School's MA in International Relations Program is eligible to apply. In addition, graduate students in other degree programs at the Maxwell School are eligible to apply, as well.  The program is also open to qualified graduate and undergraduates from Syracuse University or a comparable institution.  Advanced proficiency in Spanish is required.

>Plans for the 2007 program are still in the works.  Please check back for more information on the future of this program.

Application for the Fall 2006 Program **

**To apply, please complete the online application through the Division of International Programs Abroad (see link above).  Scroll down and click on "Fill out an online application."  Select your home school as "Syracuse U." and your desired term of study as "Fall only."  Continue on to enter your personal information.  In part 3 of 5, select "Direct: Chile-Global South (IR)" as your First Choice Country/Site.  Complete the remaining personal information.  In part 5 of 5, complete the personal statement.  Be sure to address your research interests and/or internship interests.  Be as specific as possible, providing proposed research topics and/or specific organizations that you have in mind.  Also, be sure to provide information about your preparation for this program (e.g. prior experience abroad, language proficiency) and how this program is relevant to your career goals.  The Global Programs Coordinator will be submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf; please provide this information in this section, as well.  The $60 application fee will be waived for MAIR applicants to this program.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sue Shane at DIPA.
 

Admission to the Program and Procedures

Participants are admitted to the program by the Global South Program Director. They will confirm their intent to participate in writing.

Participants begin Part I of the Global South Program upon admission, conferring with the director about their research and professional interests.

The Global South Director will serve as the faculty liaison for Part II of the Global South Program (the seminar at Universidad Alberto Hurtado).

The Global South Director will serve as the faculty liaison for Part III of the Global South Program (the independent study or internship).

Participants in the Global South Program are subscribed to a listserv, engaged in spring sessions as indicated above, and travel to Chile in the late summer of the year in which they participate.

Registration for the fall semester portion of the Global South Program occurs during normal registration in April, and includes (a) the Seminar on the History and Politics of Twentieth-Century Latin America; (b) the seminar on Contemporary Latin America; and (c) the internship or independent study forms. See the Global Programs Coordinator for details.
 

Travel and Living Arrangements

Participants arrange and pay for their own flights, and are responsible for their daily transportation to and from the site of their internship.

Housing with Chilean families will be provided through our on-site coordinator.  Computer and research facilities are available at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado (left) for student use.

We have arranged for a representative from Universidad Alberto Hurtado to pick students up at the airport and drop them off at their host family's house upon arrival to Santiago. 

Please note that we have also arranged a group trip to Buenos Aires during the semester in order for students to extend their 90-day tourist stay allowed to visitors with a U.S. passport (note that participants are not traveling on a student visa).  The trip is scheduled for late-October with students leaving on a Friday and returning on Sunday (or leaving Saturday and returning Monday).  Hotel accommodations and travel arrangements (flight and bus tour) will be included.  We will also try to arrange for students to visit sites in Argentina during their trip and perhaps visit one to two local NGOs. 
 

Program Cost and Expense Estimate

Students pay Syracuse University graduate tuition and a program fee. Tuition for 2005-2006 is $940 per credit (tuition for 2006-2007 is expected to increase). Airfare and ground transportation to Chile are approximately $800 (one way) but may vary. Costs also vary by the location and relevant living expenses of the internship site, and students may wish to research these variations in advance of their departure. Some students may be interested in pursuing fellowships and other ways to fund their Global South experience (see Funding Opportunities).  All students who are pursuing an MAIR degree at Maxwell are eligible to be considered for a Global Programs Award.  If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, please contact the Global Programs Coordinator.  In addition, it is recommended that all students consider applying for the PLACA grant if they would be interested in beginning their research in the summer.

The costs noted below reflect 2006 estimates of living costs. Students should be aware that usual costs include airfare, program administration fees, tuition, and some living expenses. The program fee below covers housing, as well as some meals.

* The program fee includes: Room and board in host family with 3 meals per day; Buenos Aires trip (airfare, hotel, activities, one group meal); Airport pickup upon arrival & transport to host family; Orientation transportation, activities, welcome dinner; and Administrative fee.

** Includes personal travel expenses, toiletries, laundry, personal hygiene and other miscellaneous supplies, and communication expenses.

*** Includes additional food and miscellaneous meals during weekend travel.

***Please note that undergraduate students pay undergraduate tuition, and joint JD/IR students must pay law school tuition for any credits that they take through the IR program.  This includes credits taken on global programs such as the Global South Program. 

For more information, please contact the Global Programs Coordinator, (global@maxwell.syr.edu) in the International Relations Program of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She can also be reached at 315-443-5339 or 315-443-9204 (fax).

A Student's View of the Experience

Arne Corneliussen, a joint IR/MPA graduate student, participated in the 1999 Global South program held in Uruguay during his second year. Occasionally Arne sent us a message describing his experiences. He has agreed to let us post them as an online "journal" so that other students may gain a better understanding of the program.

August 23, 1999 "I am speechless. Republic del Oriental del Uruguay, what an exceptional country. "
September 7, 1999 "What a wonderful city Buenos Aires."
September 14, 1999 "Santiago, my host-family, and my internship."
October 26, 1999 "Dear Students of International Relations,"
December 16, 1999 "A Final Word from Arne in Rio de Janeiro"

Program on Latin America and the Caribbean

The Program on Latin America and the Caribbean (PLACA) promotes multidisciplinary research on Latin America and the Caribbean.  Within Syracuse University and beyond the campus, faculty and students work to expand understanding of Latin American and Caribbean issues.  PLACA collaborates closely with our University's undergraduate Latino-Latin American Studies Program and its African American Studies Department to promote awareness of Latin American and Caribbean peoples throughout the hemisphere. 

PLACA's longstanding interest in state-civil society relations addresses changes that have resulted from globalization.  We study transformations in social movements and national governments and their relation to international institutions.  Faculty and graduate student research on transnational activism and networks includes attention to feminist, environmental, human rights, and religious movements, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international agencies, and legal issues such as drug trafficking.  Other research areas include state reform, development, the environment, migration, and race and ethnicity. 

This page current as of: August 11, 2006