Departmental Administration Services
The Global Education Office provides advice and consultation services to departments which are interested in developing or are currently facilitating travel opportunities or programs overseas. In this capacity, the GEO team works directly with departments to identify new global education opportunities that best respond to students' needs.
In our experience, one of the most important aspects of running a successful and safe program overseas is advance planning. The following is a list of items we recommend that departments take into consideration when planning a program or trip overseas:
> In-country contact
It's important to know who will be the English-speaking contact person or host in country and how they can be reached by phone in case of an emergency. Please ask your contact person to provide information about nearby hospitals/medical centers that your program participants can be referred to in case of an emergency, as well as to recommend English-speaking doctors at each facility.
> Health and safety planning
It's also important to ensure that all participants have adequate health insurance coverage for their overseas stay. Participants should understand the terms of coverage, including what services are/are not covered, what the deductibles are, and what is their insurance provider's definition of a medical emergency.
If the participants take medication or need treatments on a regular basis, they should first check with the consulate about any restrictions that are imposed for medications they wish to bring into the country. Participants should also make sure that they discuss this issue with their physician and develop a plan for medications or treatments during their time abroad. All participants should review the following site which describes what they should do once they have arrived in country: http://web.mit.edu/studyabroad/while/health-safety-abroad.html
> Participant documentation
Participants should submit all of the following documents to your office before traveling:
* Copy of passport
* Copy of health insurance card
* Risk Acknowledgement Form (here)
* Emergency Contact Form (here)
A photocopy of each should be kept on file at your office, and participants should also bring along a copy of each document and keep the copies in a safe place separate from their original documents.
> MIT Point of Contact
Designate an administrator in your office who will the MIT point of contact for the group during the trip. The Global Education Office can work with this person for advice in case any situation arises.
> Pre-departure Orientation
We highly encourage all participants to attend a Pre-departure Orientation, either one facilitated by the Global Education Office, or one that is done within the department. In this Pre-departure Orientation, a country expert meets with the participants as a group to go over the important considerations while traveling abroad, such as cultural differences, what to expect in terms of food/housing and money matters, what activities are planned, and when appropriate, local language instruction, among others.
> In-country orientation
Finally, it is also important that there is an orientation for students once they arrive in country. In this session, the host or faculty coordinator should discuss what to do in case of an emergency, provide local medical information, and go over points regarding student conduct and expectations of the program.
For more information on the planning process, or for any advice on global education programming, please contact the Global Education Office in 12-189 or by e-mail at globalmit@mit.edu.