Around the World | Snapshots from MISTI

A slide show of photos and reflections from students in MIT's flagship international education program
 

SWITZERLAND

 
“Beyond academics and research, this opportunity has opened my eyes to just how large and diverse the world truly is. It has provided me challenges that have allowed me to grow, as a student and as a person.” 

—Joseph Lin, Physics 2017, hosted by CERN, Switzerland

JORDAN



“MISTI gave me a whole new perspective on what I aspire to do beyond MIT. I wanted to see how the work in my field would be in the [Middle East] region... I would like to return with hopes of shaping my career in a way that enables me to contribute to the development of the region.” 

—Areen Bahour, Chemical Engineering ’16, Hosted by Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Jordan

FRANCE



“By being immersed in a new culture and engaging in the community as more of a citizen than a tourist, I discovered the true value of a global perspective. I learned that every individual has a story, and it is these stories that constitute a community, a region, a country, and ultimately our world.”

—Beth Hadley, EECS 2015, hosted by Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France

INDIA



“I have come back from India with a much better understanding of the Malayalam language, improved research skills, and deeper cultural understanding. I have also come back from India a happier, humbler, more loving, and more confident person.”

—Amanda Swenson, PhD candidate, Linguistics & Philosophy, Conducted Dissertation research on the rules governing the structure, form and usage of Malayalam verbs, India

ISRAEL



“This past summer has been a conglomerate of diverse experiences—culturally and academically—which have served to further both my global insight and personal development. Thank you MISTI!”

—Justin Yuan, Biological Engineering, ’15, Hosted by Dr. Yosef Yarden at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

MEXICO



“Mexico is an amazing country! Through MISTI I had the privilege of working in an area connected to my research on energy policies with a team of committed civil servants at the Secretary of Energy (Sener). Moreover, I arrived in a very interesting time—the implementation of the energy reform.”

—Renato Lima de Oliveira, Political Science PhD ’17, Secretaría de Energía (Sener), Mexico

KOREA



“I had more than a few memorable experiences through MIT-Korea. One that I certainly won’t forget was shaping pottery with a master potter. Such an incredible, and unique experience. It was right up my alley with the amount of hands on work and messy fun that was involved.”

—Nicole Cazares, Mechanical Engineering 2016, on MIT-Korea cultural excursion to Icheon, South Korea

GERMANY



“Gaining a different perspective and being away from the life that I have grown accustomed to living has given me the opportunity to reflect on what I truly value and what is important to me. After this experience, I now feel confident about how I will spend my remaining time at MIT.”

—Henry Merrow, Mechanical Engineering 2017, hosted by TU Darmstadt, Germany

ITALY



“MISTI is a fantastic program that really enabled me to see a part of the world I otherwise would probably never have visited in my lifetime. My time in Italy helped me question the way I’ve always viewed the world as an American, and pushed me to become a more resourceful, creative, and informed person.”

—Kath Xu, Mechanical Engineering 2016, hosted by Gruppo Loccioni, Italy