Using Innovation and Technology to Advance Social Justice
The new IHP: Social Entrepreneurship: Innovation, Technology, Design, and Social Change program offers your students the opportunity to undertake comparative studies of economics, management, technology, and human-centered design.
Over the past two decades, social entrepreneurship has been evolving not only as a concept, but also in practice and has revolutionized the way solutions to critical social issues are developed. Students will explore the ways in which it has developed across four program sites: the Bay Area of San Francisco; São Paulo, Brazil; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Uganda.
Taking advantage of deep existing and expanding networks, students will study case studies of social enterprises and engage with social entrepreneurs, activists, and local individuals working to address the most pressing challenges of today.
Field studies will include meetings with small businesses and multinational corporations, NGOs, multilateral organizations, international banks, philanthropists, and local microfinance providers.
Some questions that will drive course content include:
- What does design thinking entail and how might it be used in furthering social innovation?
- What is the potential of social entrepreneurship as a catalyst for social change, and what are the barriers to achievement?
- How can technology help social businesses in terms of innovation in development and at the bottom of the development pyramid?
Advising tips: This interdisciplinary program will be of interest to students studying business, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, engineering, design, and technology/computer science.
Click here to read program highlights and syllabi.
Students enrolling in this program for fall 2016 are eligible for a New Horizons Grant! Click here to read more and view all eligible programs.
Advising Corner:
Program Changes for Fall 2016
Africa, South of the Sahara
The changes for programs in Africa, south of the Sahara are immediate, beginning spring 2016.
We regret to announce the closure of our Madagascar: Urbanization and Rural Development program at the end of this semester. We are very grateful to Roland Pritchett and his staff for the stellar job they have been doing on behalf of SIT in maintaining a valuable program despite recent enrollment challenges. We thank them for their service to SIT and to international education more generally.
We are offering a new excursion for our Kenya: Urbanization, Health, and Human Rights program. Students will visit Rwanda for a comparative view of infrastructure, facilities, community needs, and research agendas.
The Middle East and North Africa
New excursions have been chosen for our programs in Jordan.
- Students on the Jordan: Modernization and Social Change program will travel to United Arab Emirates, where they will visit four out of seven emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Shariqah, and Ajman). The UAE offers a unique blend of traditional culture and customs and modern lifestyle. The UAE has emerged as a leading economic, political, and cultural power in the region, and many countries in the Middle East look to the UAE modernization paradigm as an important model.
- The Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action program excursion to Switzerland will provide students with an opportunity to learn from experts about the international refugee system, the global refugee status, and the challenges health and relief agencies face in providing refugee protection and assistance. The excursion includes visits to UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross, WHO, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Latin America
The Academic Affairs committee has approved a new title for the Argentina: Regional Integration, Development, and Social Change program. Academic Director Nuria Pena writes, "The change of title does not imply a substantial change of direction, but rather reflects current intellectual interests of students and academic leanings of evolving program content."
A change in the language prerequisite for Ecuador has been implemented for the Ecuador: Development, Politics, and Languages program. Students will be required to demonstrate completion of three recent semesters of Spanish. An updated Spanish course reflects an emphasis on oral communication rather than advanced reading.
- The new Spanish course title is: Spanish for the Social Sciences I, II, III.
A new title has been announced for Brazil: Social Justice and Sustainable Development. Academic Director Bill Calhoun explains this new title moves the program to focused, field-based engagement with cutting-edge, innovative organizations.
- The new title is Brazil: Social Innovation and Community Development
- Seminar 1: Social Justice, Post-Colonialism, and Civil Society in Northeastern Brazil
- Seminar 2: Community Action in Brazil
- Portuguese for Social and Development Studies I, II, or III
- Community Development Project in Social Justice
A new Spanish course is being introduced for Nicaragua: Youth Culture, Literacy, and Media. In this decidedly non-traditional course, students will enhance and expand their expressive capacity in Spanish through a wide range of oral, reading, and writing activities.
- The new course is Spanish Communication and Expression in Contemporary Nicaragua I, II, and III.
IHP/Comparative
Two programs have changes to the itineraries
Tanzania Alumna Wins Forum on Education Abroad’s Undergraduate Research Award
SIT Study Abroad congratulates Shavonne Stanek, Oberlin College student and alumna of SIT’s Tanzania: Zanzibar—Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management program, for being awarded The Forum on Education Abroad’s 2015 Undergraduate Research Award.
READ MORE.
New Horizons Grant
Did you see last month's news about our New Horizons grant?
This award is for students who participate in one of SIT's new summer 2016 or fall 2016 semester programs and is available to any student demonstrating need. Interested students should fill out the standard SIT scholarship application. Award amounts will be $1500 for summer and $2500 for semester.
These awards will be made in addition to other SIT awards including the Pell Grant Match and the SIT general scholarship fund.
READ MORE for details and to view all eligible programs.
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