Hi! My name is Georgia Barlow and I am a rising junior at Tulane studying international development and political science. I am originally from Maine and have always been interested in international work. I am going to spend my summer in Potsdam, Germany working for BIGS Potsdam, a security think tank. I will be working with a research team that is doing work on metro security. Their research on transportation security will happen in Berlin and a developing nation so that a globalized approach can be made to transportation security. This has become an increasingly important body of work following recent terrorist activity that has targeted modes of transportation.
I am really hoping to use this time in Germany to learn about research and how it can be applied to global policy. One of the end goals of this research team is to create new policy in Germany, the EU and on an international scale to ensure that people are safe when traveling. On a more personal note I really hope to use this opportunity to explore a new country and to get used to living in a different part of the world. I hope to live in many different places in my life and this is just the first stop on the journey. My five learning objectives are:
- understand how research is conducted in real world situations
- understand how research can impact policy
- understand the complexities and nuances of conducting cross cultural research
- speak beginner german comfortably
- adjust to life in a new country
Newcomb’s mission is to “educate women for leadership in the 21st century” and I think that by exposing myself to new research as well as a globalized approach to security and government I will be putting myself in a position to enter fields related to political science or international development with a wide array of skills. This internship will expose me to challenges that I have not had to face yet in my work or schooling and I will become a better leader and person for it. I am really excited to work for this company because I think that they are doing very important work. They are a progressive company that brings together people from all over the world to work together and come up with creative solutions to complex problems of our time. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can while I am there!
Georgia Barlow