— Dr. Istvan Rado, Program Director, GSSE program

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Social Entrepreneurship aims to equip students with 21st century skills in order to succeed in a rapidly changing world. In the past few years, our students and recent graduates have engaged in various activities: experiencing teamwork with differently-abled people in the Run2Gether event, effectively expressing their ideas in organizing
the Hult Prize 2020 competition, refining their problem-solving skills through ASEAN DSE 2019, and founding an award-winning social enterprise ‘Happy Grocers’, to name just a few examples.

Student-centered learning is a core value at SGS, both in the classroom and throughout our field immersion activities.
We encourage active engagement and learning by doing. Our students are guided by faculty with global experience and who are in touch with local realities. This dual focus on social innovation and the global context of local issues – best exemplified by the Zero Waste Market project in this issue – is part of what makes the GSSE program unique.

Social innovation is still a novel discipline, which opens up new and exciting work opportunities after graduation. What makes changemakers is not a single personality trait. Graduates use the skills they have gained according to their distinct personalities. This issue highlights some of the choices former students have made, and we have seen them pursue careers as social entrepreneurs, human-centered design specialists, analysts, community facilitators, systems designers, and more.

— Thanate Ittisurasing, Thailand

Our highlights at GSSE
“GSSE program didn’t only teach us about what social issues that are needed to be solved but this program also taught me how to actually take an action in solving those issues in a creative way. I have interned at many organizations, these internships allowed me to utilize my skills in a real-world context most importantly, I have gained practical knowledge from learning by doing. By this, it allows me to see a clearer picture of my future in terms of career path.”

My most favorite class at GSSE
“This class is called, globalization, we had to read weekly readings then used that information as an input for discussion every week. There were diverse kinds of case studies and we had to discuss problems occurred in those case studies from business and social perspectives and ultimately, we had to find proper solutions to solve those problems. I have gained a well-rounded business analyst skill from this course. My current job, I work as a consultant, I have to find solutions for clients which is very similar to what I have done in Globalization class which I found this class very useful.”

Experiences

• Internship – learn education, sal forest, PTT group (social enterprise department), PwC consulting (Thailand)
• Full time – PwC consulting (Thailand)

— Vuyasi Rajbhandari, Nepal

Our highlights at GSSE
“My experience at SGS was very diverse. I was exposed to a brilliant community of peers and faculty from different parts of the world who helped me develop my perspective and interpersonal skills. Being in such international environment also helped me understand social impact and entrepreneurship form a global perspective.”

My most favorite class at GSSE
“Most classes at GSSE were incredibly helpful in terms of learning how to work in a team and generating innovative ideas. I believe the most memorable ones were the Social Innovation Project Classes. The SI Project classes were a blend of theoretical and interactive learning methods by using design thinking. We were given an opportunity to integrate practical business tools and create something concrete. The experience from that class still helps me achieve my goal in my profession today.”

Experiences

• International Sales and Community Manager at Patom Organic Living, Thailand [Social Enterprise] (2019- present)
• Shaper at Global Shapers Bangkok Hub, Thailand [Youth group under World Economic Forum](2019- present)
• Project Coordinator at SHAPE APAC by Global Shapers Bangkok Hub, Thailand [International Conference] (2018)
• Volunteer at International Center for Integrated Mountain Development , Nepal(2015)
• Event Coordinator and Volunteer at Food for Naanis Program, Nepal [ Feeding program for earthquake victims in rural Nepal] -Intern at Kantipur Publications, Nepal [Newspaper] (2014) – Contributing Writer at Sattya Media Arts Collective, Nepal (2014)
• Project Coordinator at Godavari Alumni Association [School Alumni Association] (2011 – present)

— Sai Yee Tip, Myanmar

Our highlights at GSSE
“For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We used to think that class projects were so demanding, but with or without our realizations, they provided us with a wealth of interpersonal skills that I found useful and applicable to my job. Group projects in classes have made me more resilient to any future challenges and more open-minded to different and diverse opinions and actions.”

My most favorite class at GSSE
“Social Innovation classes, of course. During my study, I used to think that they are repetitive, yet the processes and practices along the way were not, which kept them interesting every academic year. I used them as examples here because there are a variety of skill-sets, ranging from leadership to problem-solving skills, you can learn and cultivate from these classes. Now that I’m working, I’ve discovered that they’re very useful to come up with new content and design ideas.”

Experiences

• Senior Digital Media and Communications Officer at Parami Institute (2019-Present)
• Work study student at School of Global Studies (2015-2019)
• Intern at Kyaing Tong Learning Center (2018)
• Intern at Foundation for Education and Development (2016)
• News Translator and Reporter (2014-2015)
• Intern at eGuard Environmental Service (2014)
• Teqaching Assistant at Kyaing Tong Learning Center (2014)
• Student Guide at Yadana Boarder (2010-2012)