Internship Location: Remote
Organization Type: State Government
Policy Areas: Education, health and international security policy
As a Project Assistant for the International Safety and Security Director (ISSD) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was responsible for researching and drafting analyses and recommendations on the security environments in specific countries to support the ISSD and the Vice Provost of the International Division. Part of this role included attending conferences, webinars, and other discussions (virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic) hosted by various institutions and organizations (academic, governmental, or professional) to stay informed in ongoing and emerging trends around the world related to crime, public health, terrorism, civil unrest, conflict, migration, environmental risks, geopolitics, etc. I also researched and produced bi-weekly or weekly briefings for the UW System COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center to update campus leadership on major international developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its security-related implications, since the pandemic has compounded many security-related risks. Additionally, I assisted the ISSD in developing a tracking system for waivers to UW-Madison’s International Travel Policy and updated UW-Madison’s International Safety and Security website with accurate and timely resources as an expression of due diligence on behalf of student and employee travel. My role as a Project Assistant for the International Safety and Security Director at UW-Madison has been crucial to my professional development because of the open-source gleaning, research, and analysis skills I developed, location-specific knowledge I acquired, and insight I received into the international risk management processes.