Faculty
Economics
Professor Meenakshi Rishi is mentoring the next generation of global citizens as the director of Seattle University’s International Development Internship Program (IDIP). This one-of-its-kind program in the nation connects juniors and seniors to NGO projects in developing countries worldwide.
Rishi has facilitated student connections to projects involving global sustainability, public health, computer coding, microfinance, community development, refugee women and structural engineering for earthquake readiness, among many others. She oversees about eight to 10 students a year in internships to Asia, Africa and Latin America. In addition to on-site work, the 20-credit program requires coursework, developing a research question and a reflection component.
IDIP graduates have gone on to graduate schools, secure Fulbright grants, publish research papers and assume leadership positions in organizations. “No matter where they land, they acknowledge the impact of their IDIP placement in their growth as whole persons,” Rishi says.
“Our students are not just thinking about a just and humane world,” she says. “They are thinking about being an active participant in the operation of a just and humane world.”