Building off of my research experience, conversations with Charlie Greenleaf at MSU led me to the possibility of a trip to Bangladesh. I was excited at the prospect, and here's why:
From the ra-ra enthusiasm of Thomas Friedman to the gloomy skepticism of Lori Wallach, there's a lot of conflicting rhetoric about globalization and economic development going around. These arguments often hinge on reports of the conditions "on the ground" in Less-Developed Countries: what do people really need? What do they really want? There are critical distinctions to be made that affect everything from government legislation to simple purchasing decisions. A trip to Bangladesh, I realized, would be an opportunity to see a Less-Developed Country up close. The condition of the country would be mediated only by my guides and my senses.
An embryonic plan for the summer proved abortive; in the meantime, however, my friend Dan Bouk made it known that he, too, might be interested in finding out what "the real deal" was with globalization and development in Bangladesh.
This fall, fate conspired to send us there when Dan and I ran into Charlie Greenleaf together. We began a conversation that led to planning with Kamal Ahmad of the Center for Global Education and Development; Sohel Sharif, Major Manzural Haque, and Sabrina Rashid at Grameen Software, Ltd.; Ed Ingraham at MSU's Office of Study Abroad; Ron Fisher and David Bailey at the Honors College; Laura Dalley at the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid; and Charlie himself. A semester later, we are bound for Bangladesh. On our agenda:
 | A 5-week internship with the Grameen Bank, a microlending operation in Bangladesh that provides access to capital to poor Bangladeshis, primary rural women. (This is also part of an MSU independent study course we're completing this semester.) |
| Following that, a 5-week internship with UNICEF's Bangladesh office, doing research on potential interactions between information technology (i.e. the Internet) and education in Bangladesh. |
| Throughout, a teaching assignment at Grameen Software, Ltd., working with Bangladeshi computer students to improve their English skills. |
| And finally, an ongoing chronicle of our experiences in Bangladesh: The Dhaka Daily! |
Our program may serve as a pilot project for a larger MSU study abroad experience sometime in the future. In the meantime, Dan and I are bound for Bangladesh!
-RS.