IARU Internship 2019

In 2019, the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) hosted the second summer course “Borderland: Critical Approaches to Fieldwork in the Global South”, organised by the University of Copenhagen, the University of Berkeley and the RCSD of Chiang Mai University. The course aims to provide students from around the world with insights into contemporary social issues in the Global South, focusing on:

• Borders and Boundaries
• Mobility and Immobility
• Human (In-)Security and Social Justice
• Natural Resource Management and Environment

In addition to lectures, the summer school offers short-term internships with different NGOs. For the second year, BEAM hosted interns and offered them the opportunity to gain insights into their strategies, goals and daily work. Part of the internship was to support BEAM with working on its long-term strategic plan, developing brochures, compiling an impact assessment and updating the website. The interns also had the chance to meet the GED students and organize classes for them. Closely involved with the daily work, the students received a comprehensive insight into BEAM’s everyday working and the local, regional and global issues the program is concerned with.

BEAM is looking forward to continuing the cooperation with the IARU and share their vision of sustainable change through education.

Avalon Langdon, Criminology & Psychology, The Australian National University – When BEAM graciously accepted 4 interns into their foundation for only 2 short weeks, I was both nervous and eager to provide meaningful work. My nerves quickly subsided when we were met with enthusiasm and pre-set individual tasks to undertake during our time that would help the foundation whilst also providing us with intellectual stimulation and cultural understanding. There was not one highlight to my time with BEAM but many, including the classes we were able to lead with the GED students, getting to know their personal stories and backgrounds, their motivations and goals, and their positive and good-humoured nature. Another highlight was the field experience we were exposed to in Mae Sot. Interacting with the migrant schools provided us with a deeper understanding of the process that migrant students must go through to receive an education, and the barriers facing teachers and organisations who want to see migrant education both nationally and globally recognised. This experience has given me invaluable insight into such a crucial aspect of migrant life, and I hope to one day return and contribute further to the education of migrants.

Emily Ward, Advanced Migration Studies, University of Copenhagen – Arriving at BEAM as an intern I was unsure of what to expect given our limited time frame. Yet despite this barrier, BEAM greeted us with open arms and provided us with a series of challenging but rewarding tasks. Throughout our two weeks I learned of the many life-changing programs BEAM offers to marginalized communities and experienced the warmth, competence and dedication of BEAM’s staff to improve lives. As a student of migration studies, it has been incredibly insightful to learn about the situation of migrant education in Thailand in such a dynamic and cross-cultural space. One of the many highlights was meeting BEAM’s GED students so we could better understand their personal background and goals. It was inspiring to hear how their ambition was not only limited to higher education but a desire to give back to their communities as leaders, teachers, and other positions of service. Additionally, we were fortunate enough to accompany BEAM on a field research trip to Mae Sot. Having the opportunity to visit migrant schools and observe the realities and challenges faced by migrant educators on the Thai-Myanmar border was both academically rewarding and culturally enriching. I am deeply grateful for my time at BEAM and hope I can utilize the knowledge I gained for migration education advocacy in academia as well as other marginalized communities. 

Hendrik Pröhl, Human, Social and Political Sciences (Anthropology & Politics), University of Cambridge – Ten days really aren’t a long time for an internship, but our time at BEAM was packed with experiences and insights into so many different aspects of the amazing work the organization does! We were welcomed heartily, involved into everyday work without delay and given all the support that we needed to tackle the tasks we were asked to work on, with BEAM’s staff always willing to help out and answer questions. It was so valuable to see how BEAM addresses education for migrants in Thailand and Myanmar, the lengths the staff goes to for everything to work smoothly, and how they create a space for students to develop their potential and be involved in actively shaping the teaching and learning process themselves. Especially the chance to engage with the students in the Higher Education and Vocational Training programmes was very enlightening – to exchange about their experiences with schooling, their backgrounds, and their visions for where to take their lives. Experiencing so much in so little time was truly was a very meaningful opportunity, and I am very grateful to have been given this chance to make a contribution and learn so much.

Theo Sell, Applied Cultural Analysis, University of Copenhagen – Coming to BEAM the first day I did not really know what to expect of the work that we could do with our different backgrounds and from far away. However, we were met with a warm welcome and immediately introduced to the inspiring work that BEAM does. The good cooperation between us interns and BEAM helped in dividing the tasks and helping BEAM the best way possible in a two-week internship. It really was not a lot of time, but our schedules were filled with tasks and classes for the GED program which made the time fly by. I learned a lot about the work BEAM does and how it is implementing its vision of supporting marginalized communities in Thailand and Myanmar, but also from the people working at BEAM and the students. It was inspiring to see how they work together and strive to impact their communities. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to support BEAM, but more so to observe and learn from their experience.