Catrina Martin, Global Practice Preparation Assistant here at the Dean Rusk International Law Center, University of Georgia School of Law, took part earlier this month in an educational seminar in Nepal.

The seminar was sponsored by SIT Study Abroad, a unit of the Vermont-based School for International Training. It brought together 10 study abroad professionals and faculty members from an array of U.S. colleges and universities. They discussed the importance of diversity, inclusion, and reciprocity in study abroad programs, and the the process of experiential learning.

“We received the warmest of welcomes in Nepal, and every aspect of the seminar was enriching. I learned so much from everyone we interacted with, including my fellow attendees,” said Martin, who assists with administration of the Global Externships Overseas, among other Dean Rusk International Law Center initiatives.

Led by Suman Pant, SIT Academic Director, the attendees were immersed in the Nepali language and culture. They made numerous site visits, including one to Mitini Nepal, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for equal rights for Nepal’s LGBTI+ community.

Lectures, meanwhile, covered a variety of pedagogical and cultural topics. A highlight was a discussion with activist Deepti Gurung on statelessness and human rights in Nepal.

Martin summed up her experience:

“An integral part of the programs that Director Pant runs is the intentional removal of students from their comfort zones, and she extended that to us, as well. We didn’t only discuss experiential learning pedagogy, we went through it ourselves. I am so excited to return home and put into practice the lessons we’ve learned.”