Q&A with the 2004 Undergraduate Research Abroad Winners

Abroad View: Did you ever doubt what you were doing or want to give up?

Brian Hoyer: Yes. Returning to a refugee camp in East Africa I was well aware of the challenges of getting access to such a highly restricted space. When my promised permits failed to materialize upon arriving in the capital, I spent my waking hours traversing the bureaucratic mazes of Tanzanian refugee policy and experiencing firsthand the institutionalized fear of researchers from wealthy Western nations.
Thanks to much assistance and good advice from the people at various organizations (plus the goodwill of the 10 weapon-bearing men who abducted me in a phony police car on two separate occasions, each time releasing me unharmed and with enough of my funds to carry out my research) I finally made it past this first roadblock. I think the only way to cope was, for once, to take my own advice, which I usually tell people traveling to the region: “Flexibility is the key to success.”

AV: Do you think you succeeded in what you set out to accomplish?

Heidi Boutros: There is always more work to be done, always more people in need than there is the capacity or resources to help. Having said that, there were certainly success stories from the time I spent in India, and those sustained me at times when I felt like all our efforts were being thwarted.

AV: What does it mean to have your work recognized among academics and your paper published and presented at a national conference?

Kevin McAdam: It was a wonderful honor. To be recognized in this manner for undergraduate work is virtually unheard of, and to be recognized in such a way by those working so hard to promote such an important field of academics (the field of study abroad, that is) is amazing. The recognition also serves to draw much-needed attention to the topic of my paper, and, on a personal level, it will open doors for future academic opportunities.


AV: What advice would you give other students who wish to pursue serious field research abroad?

Brian: Have a backup project in case things don’t work out. Make contact early and often with an organization or person you want to work with. Read everything you can get your hands on before beginning your fieldwork. Investigate the situation of research permits and access in your country of destination. If you read a particularly helpful book or paper, write to the author with your questions. Utilize the international network (both students and staff) at your school to help set up your fieldwork. Do not take a lot of expensive cameras and recorders, which may only further separate you from the people you are working with. Get travel insurance. Avoid going to a place where you have no grasp of the local language. Be open to changing your plans and always respect the integrity of those who choose to share information with you.

Heidi: 1. Dream big. Think of what research question you would most like to pursue; even if it seems impossible, go after it. You will be surprised what you can do if you try and are persistent. 2. Think outside the box. You do not have to do research through an established program. I had some of my most meaningful experiences on my own. This can be more challenging, but it also gives you the freedom to choose how to spend your time and to focus your energy on substantive work. 3. Funding is available if you look for it. Search online for research grants and talk to your professors and university administrators about resources. 4. Never underestimate the importance of planning ahead.

Kevin: First, establish faculty advisers early. Doing so will help get your project off the ground in its beginning stages. Second, keep the project focus narrow. A three-, six-, or even 12-credit paper will seem insurmountable if the focus becomes too wide. Lastly, get to work before you think you need to. No one, at least in my experience, hands their work in early.


AV: What was the most difficult aspect of your research experience?

Heidi: The most difficult part of my experience had little to do with my research. It was simply adjusting to living in India—the heat, the dirt, the food, etc. It was also emotionally taxing to be surrounded by extreme poverty and make sense of the tremendous privilege I’ve been given simply by being born into a middle-class family in a first-world country.

AV: Are you aware of any real-world results because of your research?

Heidi: Some of the recommendations I made in my paper have been implemented by the International Justice Mission. I can by no means take full responsibility for this, as there were a number of other factors besides my research that contributed to these modifications in strategy. Nevertheless, the International Justice Mission’s Southeast India office has grown by leaps and bounds in its effectiveness since I was there.

AV: What is your favorite memory?

Heidi: The first bonded slave I personally saw released.

Brian: The daily ritual rehearsal of The Lugufu Live Band. Hearing the pumping rhythms and blood stirring guitar riffs of Congolese soukous anywhere in the world is one of the most healing and revitalizing things imaginable. Seeing this particular group of musicians come together mainly because they were the sole survivors of their families or had suffered particularly badly in the war in the homeland served to balance the harsh realities of life in a refugee camp and remind us all of our common humanity.

Kevin: Getting the paper printed and bound. As far as my experience as a student goes, nothing compares to the feeling of accomplishment that comes from holding the final copy of such a challenging project.