Elizabeth Woods
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Class
2018
Track
International Politics & Diplomacy
International Experience
Affiliate Provider
Country
Dakar, Senegal
What are you doing now?
“I am currently a French and Francophone studies PhD candidate at Boston University. I am also pursuing a certificate in African Studies so that I can focus my research on the types of violence found in the political narratives of colonial and post-colonial Western African literature and cinema. I have received a fellowship to study Wolof this summer and will be including a comparative sociolinguistic approach into my research as well. I hope to use my degree to either continue in academia or work with an NGO, think tank, or government agency related to Western African diplomacy, relations, and/or education. I would not have found the career path that I am on with the opportunities presented to me within the INTS degree. Specifically, the interdisciplinary aspect of the degree gave me a scholarly edge to be able to make connections between works of literature, philosophical theory, and current or historical events. Furthermore, studying in Dakar, Senegal from Senegalese professors allowed me to broaden my analytical perspectives from a “western” point of view to a more complex and global point of view.”
What advice would you give current and future students?
“Study abroad for as long as you can, as that is one of the most competitive aspects of the INTS degree. Being able to go for longer than just 2 or 3 weeks and really immerse yourself in the language and culture of your area will give you an edge that other graduates might not have. Connecting in meaningful ways with new cultures and languages takes time and work, but it allows you to think more critically about pretty much every aspect of any profession in today’s globalized society.”