Esteemed Globalization and International Affairs Program Selects Two Converse Students

Two Converse double majors have been accepted into the Globalization and International Affairs Summer Program at Bard College in New York City. The program brings together the top undergraduates from Bard and a group of students selected from around the world in an intensive experience of course work, lectures and an internship in an international agency.

Tina Rohner of Kaufbeuren, Germany and Nora Nassri of Orangeburg, S.C. earned two of the approximately 16 slots allocated for the program positions. Other colleges and universities to be represented include Brown University, Vanderbilt University, Emory University and Oberlin College.

Through the Bard program university students and recent graduates engage in the study and practice of human rights law, civil society development, political economy, ethics and writing on international affairs. Traditional course work is blended with internships at world-class international organizations in New York City such as the World Policy Institute, the United Nations Association of the United States of America, the Council on Foreign Relations, Dow Jones Newswires, Human Rights Watch, MSNBC, CNN and CBS.

Jonathan Cristol, director of the summer program at Bard, said that the selections of Rohner and Nassri were easy to make. “We are very selective about who we admit into the Globalization and International Affairs program. In looking at their academic achievements and their language skills, we know that Tina and Nora will bring a lot to the table,” he said.

Rohner is a rising senior majoring in politics and business. She is fluent in German and French, and is currently studying Chinese. She has compiled a nearly perfect academic record at Converse while maintaining her position as the top singles player for the Converse All-Star tennis team. She is an award-winning debater on the Model Arab League delegation and next year will be head delegate of both the Model Arab League and the Model NATO delegations. She has studied Arabic at the American University of Dubai and held a summer research fellowship to conduct research on women’s lives in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. She plans a career in international diplomacy.

Nassri is a rising junior majoring in politics and history, and has achieved an incredible academic record both in the classroom and beyond. She has won Model Arab League awards for two years and also participated on winning delegations for two years at Model NATO. She speaks Arabic and spends her summers in Damascus, where her parents were born. She is president of the Converse chapter of Young Democrats and is involved in other on campus activities. She also plans a career in international diplomacy.

Dr. Joe P. Dunn, Charles A. Dana Professor and chair of the history and politics department at Converse, remarked that “the Bard program is exceptional and an invaluable experience for our students. The internships in some of the most important international agencies will be a wonderful experience and important for their resumes. “