Study Abroad
ISEN is committed to empowering future global leaders in sustainability and energy. To accomplish this goal, ISEN is pleased to offer a range of study abroad opportunities in collaboration with interdisciplinary partners from across Northwestern.
- Israel – Global Engineering Trek (GET): Water
- Germany – Global Engineering Trek (GET): Sustainability
- China – Energy Technology & Policy: Wanxiang Fellows Program
Israel – Global Engineering Trek (GET): Water
For Freshmen and Sophomores
Water management is a highly interdisciplinary field, and all majors, particularly in engineering, science, and social policy, will contribute to addressing critical water needs in the 21st century. Based on the successful GET Sustainability program model in Germany, the GET Water program will enable Northwestern freshmen and sophomores to see Israel’s critical water infrastructure, experience its culture of innovation, and tour diverse historical and archaeological sites. GET Water will feature an immersion program in three regions in Israel: the populous and vibrant Tel Aviv / Dan region, the temperate and historical region around Haifa and the Northeast, and the Negev Desert in the south.
Immediately prior to the start of the fall quarter, students will travel to Israel to explore transboundary water issues, ancient infrastructure, and modern emerging solutions through discussions with diverse water experts, explorations of technological innovation, and visits to major water utilities, infrastructure facilities, and research centers. In addition to visiting companies and research universities, participants will gain exposure to global internship, research, and job opportunities including those related to startups, water desalination, water reuse, and hyper-efficient precision agriculture systems.
This GET Water program is open to freshmen and sophomores from ALL undergraduate majors. Cross-school participation is encouraged. It is important to note that participants do not receive academic credit for this program.
Program Details
- Program dates: September 2021 (*UPDATE: the 2020 Trek has been postponed until September 2021 due to COVID-19). The Trek will take place during the two weeks prior to the start of the fall quarter. Exact dates TBA.
- Application deadline for students: Deadline has been extended to April 24, 2020 (11:59 PM CST)
- Deadline for submission of letters of recommendation: Deadline has been extended to April 24, 2020 (11:59 PM CST)
- Who should apply? This program is reserved exclusively for Northwestern undergraduate students who are in their freshman or sophomore year at the time of the application deadline. The program is designed for students in any major. Undergraduates who are currently juniors or seniors are not eligible for the Israel program.
- Academic credit: This study abroad experience carries no academic credit.
- Financial assistance and cost: Some need-based financial aid may be available, proportional to the applicant’s current level of university financial aid. Cost to participants without financial aid is approximately $1,000. All airfare, in-country travel related to the program, lodging, and meals will be covered by the program.
- Language: No prior knowledge of a foreign language is required.
McCormick students should consult the document "Planning Your Next 3 Years of Global Engineering at Northwestern" to learn more about global engineering opportunities.
Israel Trek Contact:
Krystle Felcaro, Crown Center
krystle.felcaro@northwestern.edu
Program costs associated with the Global Engineering Trek to Israel are highly subsidized through generous support of the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN), Walter P. Murphy Society, McCormick School of Engineering, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern Center for Water Research, and the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies.
Germany – Global Engineering Trek (GET): Sustainability
For Freshmen
Sustainability is a highly interdisciplinary field, and all majors, particularly in engineering and science, will contribute to creating a more sustainable tomorrow. With this in mind, ISEN is partnering with the McCormick School of Engineering Global Initiatives Office to create a cleantech immersion program for freshmen based in Heidelberg, Germany.
Immediately prior to the start of the fall quarter, students will travel to world-leading companies and research institutes in the Heidelberg, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt region. In addition to touring cleantech startups and global corporations, participants will gain exposure to global internship and job opportunities including those related to biotech, organic photovoltaics, sustainable materials, big data/smart cities, renewable energy, and sustainable production chains.
This GET Sustainability program is open to freshmen only from ALL undergraduate majors, with an emphasis on students such as engineers and scientists with an interest in technology. Cross-school participation is encouraged. It is important to note that participants do not receive academic credit for this program.
Program Details
- Program dates: September 2021 (*UPDATE: the 2020 Trek has been postponed until September 2021 due to COVID-19). The Trek will take place during the two weeks prior to the start of the fall quarter. Exact dates TBA.
- Application deadline for students: Deadline has been extended to April 24, 2020 (11:59 PM CST)
- Deadline for submission of letters of recommendation: Deadline has been extended to April 24, 2020 (11:59 PM CST)
- Who should apply? This program is reserved exclusively for Northwestern undergraduate students who are in their freshman year at the time of the application deadline. The program is designed for students in any major who have an interest in sustainable technology. Undergraduates who are currently sophomores, juniors, or seniors are not eligible for the Germany program.
- Academic credit: This study abroad experience carries no academic credit.
- Financial assistance and cost: Some need-based financial aid may be available, proportional to the applicant’s current level of university financial aid. Cost to participants without financial aid is approximately $1,000. All airfare, in-country travel related to the program, lodging, and meals will be covered by the program.
- Language: No prior knowledge of German is required.
McCormick students should consult the document "Planning Your Next 3 Years of Global Engineering at Northwestern" to learn more about global engineering opportunities.
Germany Trek Contact:
Mike McMahon, ISEN
mike.mcmahon@northwestern.edu
Program costs associated with the Global Engineering Trek to Germany are highly subsidized through generous support of the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN), Walter P. Murphy Society, and McCormick School of Engineering.
China – Energy Technology & Policy: Wanxiang Fellows Program
Originally part of President Barack Obama’s “100,000 Strong” initiative, the Wanxiang Fellows Program sends 12-20 Northwestern students to China to work on one of the world’s most important challenges: the development of sustainable green energy technologies. This competitive fellows program takes place during the Summer Quarter and consists of three phases.
First, in the Spring Quarter prior to travel, students will be introduced to environmental and sustainability studies and will visit the Wanxiang America Corporation headquarters in Elgin, Illinois.
The second phase takes place abroad where Wanxiang Fellows will spend one month completing two full-credit courses with other Northwestern students at Peking University in Beijing. Students then participate in a two-week intensive program at Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic, where they explore issues of energy technology and application through lectures by Wanxiang researchers and practitioners, as well as site visits.
Along with language study, students will learn about clean energy science from researchers at Wanxiang Corporation, and will go on various experiential field trips (i.e. solar manufacturing plant, electric vehicle battery factory, and energy storage stations) for a full two weeks. Upon returning to Northwestern University, the third phase, the students will report on their experience.
Program Details
- Program dates: June - August 2020
- Application deadline: March 1, 2020
- Who should apply? Open to Northwestern students from all majors meeting Northwestern's minimum application requirements.
- Academic credit: Courses taken through this program are eligible for academic credit.
- Cost: Summer program costs vary, but summer study abroad tends to be much less expensive overall than a regular quarter at Northwestern. Cost to participants is approximately $4,100.
- Scholarship: Applicants are eligible for GLO study abroad scholarships and may be eligible for external funding opportunities. Northwestern students receiving financial aid during the academic year may be eligible to apply for summer aid for this program. Visit the summer aid and scholarships page for additional information.
- Language: Language of instruction is English, though students will gain exposure to Chinese language and culture.
Contact:
Global Learning Office
(847) 467-6949, lauren.worth@northwestern.edu