Florida Universities Prove Natural Partners for InteRDom Programs

The natural synergy between InteRDom Internships in the Dominican Republic’s mission and the profile and interests of the universities and students of South Florida set an excellent stage for representatives to present the InteRDom program, discuss research and other collaborations and meet students at diverse colleges and universities in the area from April 16-19, 2012.

InteRDom program representatives spent four days in Miami, where they participated in a rigorous agenda of 3 tours, 3 information sessions and presentations, 7 meetings and a conference on three college campuses in the South Florida area: Miami Dade College (MDC), Florida International University (FIU) and the University of Miami (UM).

Interest and scholarship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in the South Florida region make it a natural partner in the InteRDom program’s mission to promote more specialized Caribbean curriculum and to increase the number of research and experiential learning opportunities available in the Caribbean for scholars, students and organizations.  This was the first InteRDom visit to Florida, but will pave the way for future visits and partnerships and
more programs are developed and students recruited.

Students on all three campuses met with InteRDom representatives to discuss internship and academic opportunities in both 2012 and 2013, and meetings in the Study Abroad and International Education offices of FIU and UM paved the way to facilitate the application and credit transfer process for students.  Representatives also had the opportunities to meet with students who are currently going through the
application process to participate in Summer and Fall programs.

InteRDom was also able to fortify relationships with the Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami and the FIU Business Career Center, who will continue to be important partners regarding professional development and human capital goals.

A particular highlight of the trip was the culminating event on Thursday, April 19: the South Florida Latin American and Caribbean
Studies Graduate Student Conference, where InteRDom representatives presented the Fellows Program and heard the results of student research from all over Latin America and the Caribbean presented to an academic audience.  The Conference was a result of the partnership of the FIU, UM  and Florida Atlantic University’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies consortium, which produces important
research and programming on topics relevant to the region.  Representatives were able to meet with key players in these programs, who will contribute with InteRDom’s interest in continuing to produce academic content and research that promotes the development of the Caribbean.

The large Latino and specifically Dominican communities in Miami make it very receptive to the ideas of development and professional capacity in the Dominican Republic that
the program promotes.  It was well-received on all three campuses, and various partnerships and ideas for new programs and projects resulted.

The internship program, InteRDom, an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), is the premier internship, research and academic study program in the
Dominican Republic. It offers international students the opportunity to research important topics at the forefront of the United Nations agenda, obtain professional experience by interning with Dominican organizations and businesses related to their fields of study and/or earn academic credits by taking courses and seminars at a local university.