Global Citizenship arrangement explained
Gabriel Fung
What is Global Citizenship (GC)?
If you’re a social sciences student, these are 12 credits you have to obtain in order to graduate. According to the Faculty, the objective of the requirement is to make students, among other things, “active citizens of the global village.”
Typically, people fulfilled these credits by undertaking 12 credits of approved courses during their exchange, or by doing a non-local internship – but clearly that’s going to be impossible for the time being (don’t even think about America or Brazil for the next year).
Can I get an exception for it?
​
No. The Faculty has insisted that GC is a required part of the program that cannot be waived.
​
What do I do now?
​
There are three ways you can still get the 12 credits.
-
A non-local internship where you work remotely with an existing overseas Community Partner
-
Global Citizenship at Home [Pilot stage, Summer 2021 launch]
-
A Student initiated internship
​
​
Non-local internships
​
Starting 18 Jan, just like any other internship through the Faculty, you will have to apply through their website. The internship will take place in the summer of 2021.
​
(You can apply for a scholarship or bursary if you’re doing a non-local internship)
​
Global Citizenship at Home
​
Piloted last summer, students will intern at “local international NGOs” from home. Feedback on the scheme will be shared in coming Nov.
Note assessment requirements differ for interns under this scheme according to the 2020 internship handbook. While non-local interns normally have to conduct a post-internship 10-15min presentation, students under this scheme will instead conduct a 2min multimedia presentation.
​
Student-initiated internships
​
Your final option is to seek out an internship at an organization that is NOT under the existing list of Faculty Community Partners.
Paraphrasing, the internship MUST:
-
Have something to do with social issues e.g. justice, human rights, poverty
-
Relate to the disciplines of the social sciences i.e. your majors
-
Involve supervision from the internship-provider and “enter into a contract with the Faculty”
-
Not engage with profit-making activities
-
NOT BE PAID
-
Be a non-local organization that is NOT be under this list of Community Partners.
-
Receive approval from the internship-offering organization
-
Then receive formal approval from the Faculty BEFORE the internships starts
-
Apply through the Faculty between NOW and 6 Nov.
-
Be a summer internship between 7 June and 30 June of 2021, or a term-time internship between 28 Sept and 9 Apr.
Note you will have to undergo the same internship application process as local and non-local internships i.e. submit a personal statement and submit an application.
Malachite has also learnt from Mr Ken Yau, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, that the Faculty has previously “endorsed a non-local news agency,” but BJs may not use internships directly offered by JMSC because the Faculty’s “learning objectives and the way of supervision are different.”
​
Where to find out more
​
There will be another online consultation session on 22 Sept, 1430-1600. The link to the zoom conference room will be released in due course.
*Amendment on 9/9: the organization offering the internship must be non local