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Donna Chu, 2009 MIA Student Economic and Political Development
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Donna Chu is a 2009 MIA student concentrating in Economic and Political Development. Before SIPA, Donna taught secondary school English in Peace Corps Benin for two years and worked for a year and a half in case management in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.
What attracted you to SIPA?
“I came to SIPA because of the EPD, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations and African Studies programs. Most of the programs I looked at had similar components but SIPA also had the extra draw of being located in New York with access to the UN and all the agencies working in humanitarian relief and development.”
What experiences do you think prepared you to attend SIPA?
“My undergraduate degree was in International Relations at Georgetown University and I spent a year abroad studying European politics at Sciences-Po in Strasbourg, France. I was confident that my prior exposure to Economics, French and IR courses would be assets in readjusting to studies after five years out of school.
In addition, my prior work experiences provided a context for my studies. I have appreciated the diversity of experiences among my classmates. It is true what they say about how the students’ experiences enrich and facilitate classroom discussions, particularly on the challenges of development work.”
Can you comment about your involvement in the Department of International and Public Affairs (functional and regional institutes)?
“I have been active with the Humanitarian Affairs program. I have taken several courses with the Director of the program as well as practitioners from UNICEF, UNOCHA, CARE, and the IRC. I am also a board member of the Humanitarian Affairs Working Group, a student run group which organizes events to develop networks among students interested in working in the field and the professional resources available in the city. It is mainly because of the coursework and access to practitioners that I developed an interest in Post-conflict development.”
How did you obtain your internship?
“For my summer internship, I completed an evaluation of the American Refugee Committee’s Camp Management program in Northern Uganda. I did not have an internship before I went to Uganda but was able to use my academic experiences and networking with fellow classmates working in the country. However, in the end, it was my willingness to show up and network with NGOs working on the ground which secured my position.”
Can you please talk about your internship experience?
“I visited the ARC’s 14 internally displaced people’s camps in Gulu and a nearby district. I conducted various interviews to produce a report outlining the necessary livelihood and social protection programs to help the IDPs to sustain themselves in order to leave the camps. It was an intensive experience which allowed me to learn a lot in a short time period and reminded me again about the challenges of working in the humanitarian field.”
SIPA features lots of events for students to attend. Is there any interesting presentation that you have attended that you could comment upon?
“I was very active my first year in attending lectures, brown bags and career recruiting sessions. Although I may not have as much time this year, I feel that these activities were an important aspect of networking with practitioners, professors and classmates as well as learning more about the fields that I would like to pursue professionally.
The lectures with high level officials from the UN give students the opportunities to get an insider’s view of how the IGOs and NGOs work. However, I find that the smaller events are more valuable to getting first hand advice from practitioners. I attended brown bag sessions with alumni who worked with the International Organization on Migration and researchers of post conflict situations who conveyed more than the official view about programming and responses on the ground.”
What advice would you give a first-year student?
“Take advantage of everything that SIPA has to offer. There are so many courses and events that you must prioritize your academic and professional interests. If you need help, the professors, TAs and tutors are available. SIPA provides all the resources that you may need to succeed but you have to know how to use them.”