Virtual Internship Stories: Meaghan Elizabeth Niblock Ozikizler

School: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences ‘23
Major: MA in Global Thought
Center: Tunis
Internship: Student Research Worker – Providing research assistance to programs in Columbia World Projects

Where are you from and which organization are you working with?
I’m from Toronto, Canada and I’m currently completing my Master’s Degree in Global Thought. I’m very privileged to have been given this great opportunity to virtually work with one of Columbia’s Global Centers in Tunis.

How have you been finding your internship so far?
The internship has been great so far! I have enjoyed getting to learn about new and interesting topics from the many book talks that we have hosted, the LRHG course lectures, and helping with researching books about the region to spotlight in future book talks. I also like that each month is different in the sense that there are always new upcoming events and guest speakers that join us and share with us their novel research findings, which has greatly broadened my knowledge in other disciplines of academia.

What’s your role?                                                                           
I am a Student Research Worker who provides research assistance to programs in Columbia World Projects. I work directly with CGC Tunis, but I also have had the opportunity to sit in on and participate in meetings with other members of Columbia World Projects. It has been valuable learning about all of the other active and ongoing projects happening in Columbia’s community. Some of my internship responsibilities include researching and identifying Columbia University Press books that relate to the region and are relevant topics to explore and discuss. Connecting the local and the global in terms of engaging with Tunisian research specialists, authors, and speakers that focus on the region has been meaningful and educational. I also help with creating social media content and putting together our monthly newsletters. I feel grateful for the opportunity to work with CGC Tunis and to be able to apply my studies to make real-world connections across the globe.

Do you have any tips for virtual interns?
Every student will agree that the school year is extremely busy with school assignments, job interviews, and final exams, so creating structure is important! I recommend setting-up weekly calls with your internship team to go over your projects, tasks, and objectives so that you can plan around your schedule and make the time to accomplish your internship work.

This internship is flexible around my schedule. They understand that everyone has busy schedules filled with classes, coursework, and other time commitments. As long as you communicate when you can and cannot help out, you will be fine managing an internship on top of school – it is really what you make of it!

How has this experience been different from other, more traditional internships/work experiences?
In the past, my experience has largely been rooted in social media and technology sales. As such, my responsibilities and tasks were either focused on producing results specific to clients or generating high-volume campaigns in various territories and sectors. That being said, the main difference with my internship with Columbia’s Global Center in Tunis is its contribution to the production of knowledge. The research I engage with and the conversations I sit in on or participate in are fascinating and they all have an overarching goal to spread awareness about important global issues and topics. These activities have sparked a deeper sense of curiosity about the world around me and highlighted the importance of building partnerships globally to raise awareness, create a system of support within communities, and ultimately identify the best ways to tackle the complex global challenges our world is facing today and tomorrow.