Home > Social Enterprise Institute > International Programs

International Programs


 

Our South Africa field study program focuses on business consulting to local entrepreneurs in the townships around Cape Town, SA.

Cape Town, SA

For more information on the program and how to participate please click on the following link:

Learn More

 

Our Field Study to the Dominican Republic focuses on the enhancement of microfinance operations by increasing client retention rate for partner microfinance organization Esperanza. 

Rural Poverty in the Dominican Republic

For more information on the program and how to participate please click on the following link:

Learn More

 

 

In the future the Social Enterprise Institute will be adding a field study programs to additional destinations where students can gain field experience and make social impact in developing countries. 

Please email sei@neu.edu if you would like to be added to our email list and aware of future programs/activities being conducted by the Social Enterprise Institute at Northeastern Univeristy.

sei@neu.edu


  • The Field Study Program (FSP) offers Northeastern University students a dynamic hybrid of classroom experience with fieldwork in a developing country or emerging economies. The FSP is a four week, eight hour semester hour course, which emphasizes the importance of hands on learning as well as service-oriented projects related to social business, entrepreneurship, small business management as well as microfinance.

    What do we do?

    Students abroad in the FSP will attend regular class sessions five days a week engaging in coursework related to Global Development Entrepreneurship as well as economics and a history of the emerging country. For the fieldwork component of the program, students work in various ways with poor entreprneurs and social enterprises learning how they operate and contributing to their success.  Each trip location encompasses its own theme of social enterpreneurship, including consulting, micro-lending, and ecotoursim.

    Why do we go?

    We believe that it is of vital importance to create new business leaders in all breadths of higher education - from engineers to accounting students, global experience contributes to the development of future engineers and accountants.

    More importantly, FSP addresses several key components in the root causes of extreme poverty. By being able to provide micro-equity to small businesses in developing countries, we strive to address the critical issue of unemployment through sustainable income and revenue generation. Our motto comes from the old parable, give a man a fish, teach a man to fish. However, we also believe in providing the fishing rod, the bait, the boat and other components critical to the success of the fishing company.

    Where do we go?

    To date, FSP provides opportunities for students in South Africa, and the Domincian Republic.

    How do I get involved?

    For more information see the links on the side bar and follow the instructions on the application page..


  • “I decided to participate in this program because I felt like it was time for me to humble myself and see the positive usages of money. I learned a lot about the inner workings of microfinance. I am now inspired and confident to say that compassion and action is applicable across any continent or time zone."

    Serrano Legrand

    Class of 2011

    CBA Entrepreneurship

    NEU-SEI-Serrano-Legrand