Testimonials
Don't take our word for it...take theirs.
Sami Tewolde '19, MPP '20
Getting the chance to compete in Shark Tank gave me valuable skills that I wouldn't have otherwise acquired in my classes. It allowed my entire class to get hands on experience of what our lives as (potential) policy-makers would be like. After getting our project funded - my partner and I gathered a team of interns to help us conduct our coding process. I'm really excited to get started on disseminating our work this summer. I will forever be grateful to the Global Research Institute for giving us this opportunity to bring our research ideas to life.
Layla Abi-Falah '17, J.D. '20
Henry Crossman '19
As a research assistant for the TRIP project at the Global Research Institute, I have been able to expand the breadth and depth of my knowledge of trends and thinking across many issue areas, while also being able to hone my research and analytical skills. Working for TRIP for the past three years has allowed me to apply what I’ve been learning in the classroom to the important, policy-relevant research conducted at TRIP and the Institute more broadly. I am very thankful for the foundation ITPIR has given me in research and the range of opportunities it has offered me.
Chancellor Robert M. Gates '65
The Institute exemplifies the best of William & Mary. Creativity, entrepreneurship, and intellectual risk-taking are rewarded. The result…is a vibrant hub of world-class, applied research.
Abigail Boyce '21
Not only did this experience provide me with a deeper understanding of the world of policy, it also opened doors for me to connect with influential leaders as well as discover opportunities to pursue my passion for IR more fully while on campus.
Arslan Malik '95
Coming back to campus was extraordinary. The Institute's students were exceptionally bright, demonstrating a grasp of international relations that would shine in policymaking corridors in capitals around the world.
Suzie Bae '21
The Institute's Summer Fellowship Program gave me the chance to learn about the challenges and triumphs that developing nations face in a contextually fitting way. The research and content I developed at work were focused on the same themes that surrounded me on my way to work or walk to dinner - whether they were unstable land management or fragile infrastructure. Outside of the workplace, you get to experience life in another country in an unconventional way. You eat at the same restaurants, travel to the same weekend adventure spots, and work in the same offices that locals do. A 10-week opportunity that provides the same level of immersion and intensive research is difficult to find at a place or through a program other than the Institute's.
Joe Foster '15
I was fortunate enough to get that ‘yes’ from Professor Tierney, which allowed for an abundance of creative thinking, friendships with incredible faculty and other students from whom I learned a tremendous amount, a stake in something important, and a chance to learn more about my own interests. AidData [a project at the Institute] equipped me with a unique set of skills and knowledge that I’ve been able to apply in every one of the positions I’ve held since, and the critical thinking encouraged by the institution has empowered me and other alums to bring that forward in the work we do now.
Alexander Nocks '19
I'm excited to compare the development theory we'll discuss in class each morning with the development work we'll see each afternoon. Going to Guatemala in this context is such a unique opportunity to learn more deeply.
