"MIT can take us much farther than our classrooms."
So says biology senior Jorge Rosario, whose picture from Chile was a runner-up in this summer’s campus-wide global photo contest.
The contest was part of a campaign to promote global opportunities for students at MIT. Five offices joined forces to launch this initiative: Global Education (a part of Global Education and Career Development, or GECD), MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), D-Lab, the Public Service Center, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
"MIT is a leading global institution and our graduates will enter a world with more complex issues than ever before," says Melanie Parker, executive director of GECD. “Achieving global competency through a significant experience abroad is critical for MIT students to succeed and thrive in the world.”
Parker says undergraduate participation in global opportunities has doubled in the past seven years — from 20 to 42 percent — but that the goal is to see a majority of students going abroad before graduation. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the value of international education, as well as the variety of experiences available to MIT students. So far, the campaign has included not only the photo contest but the launching of a new website to help students explore ways to go abroad while at MIT.
The contest used the hashtag #etmundus, adding “and world” to MIT’s Latin motto of “mens et manus,” or “mind and hand.” Submitted photos, which can be seen on Global Education’s Tumblr, showcase the many ways MIT connects with and influences the world.
Three students received $250 Amazon gift cards for winning the contest: Yiou He, a grad student in electrical engineering and computer science; Maria Ximena Rueda-Guerreroa, a sophomore in mathematics; and Jiaming Zeng, a senior in mathematics. An additional four students split a prize for a shared photo: Steven Holcomb, a junior in mechanical engineering; Erik Kaltt, a senior in mechanical engineering; Dario Garcia-Dominguez, a senior in brain and cognitive sciences; and Stuart Finney, a sophomore in mathematics. All seven students went abroad via MISTI’s robust array of fully-funded internship, research, and teaching-abroad opportunities.
The winning photos can be viewed on Global Education’s Facebook page. In addition, GECD is putting together a traveling exhibition of photos from the contest. The exhibit unveils in Student Financial Services (Room 11-120) later this month.
