global research perspectives program

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A global perspective on research.

Worldwide advancements in science have increased the importance of connecting researchers globally. Though technology now allows certain types of instant connectivity and emerging nations are spending widely on their research institutions, wide gaps remain, even when talent and subject knowledge may be equal.

Since professional advancement involves teaching and research—with career progress at many institutions dependent on maintaining a continuous research track—quality of scientific research is often compromised in favor of quantity, especially in developing countries where pressure to produce is heavy and resources may be lacking. Unfortunately, this often reduces research in such places to a data-generating process, perpetuating the gap between wealthy and developing countries.

The global research community would benefit from uniform rules for awarding research degrees and uniform guidelines that take into account differences in resources and provide equal opportunities to contribute. High-quality education is the prerequisite for doing high-quality research. Today, the quality of research done in developed parts of world is far above that in developing countries. Financial constraints have created vast differences between standards in differently developed regions of the world, but the developing countries are beginning to show signs of catching up. Assistance will be needed, however.

When research was less dependent on the use of technology and there were fewer security-related issues, research training and career opportunities were somewhat more open to people living in developing countries. The quest for knowledge was something of an individual journey. Then, it was financially feasible to do high-quality research even in developing countries. Research was also of comparably higher quality because there was less competition among researchers on the basis of the number of papers published or patents registered. Until recently, most studies from developing countries were narrowly focused and were conducted by two to three authors, at the most—with very little possibility of financial return.

The situation has changed. With the advancement of technology, research groups are now present in almost every corner of the globe. They are focusing on generating data, publishing papers, and registering patents—but they are not making substantial original contributions to science. Technology in many fields requires massive financial investments in research training, and in hiring researchers, research institutions give preference to local candidates. Security concerns have played an important role in restricting the access of potential candidates from the rest of the world, widening the perception of global “haves” and “have-nots,” at least in terms of research contributions. Universities involved in research in almost all domains of knowledge need to be global literally .

Today’s studies often address old issues using new technology and data-analysis tools. The work is frequently multidisciplinary, and the number of authors involved in any study has significantly increased. Since there is more need for financial support in providing the required technology and other technical support, the principal investigator of any funded project, even without making any considerable intellectual contribution, can get authorship credit for papers that may not be relevant to the investigator’s field of expertise. This is analogous to what is happening between research institutes globally. In the developing world, permission to use laboratory facilities or get technical support is given only on the condition of the grantor’s receiving at least partial authorship credit. In principle, the researcher working on the bench or collecting data should become the first author credited in publication. Since there are comparatively more researchers involved in studies today, there is often disagreement on the order of authorship recognition, but such fights are seldom exposed. Merely filing notice of disagreement can damage a junior researcher’s career. The same can be true of research institutions in remote places when they attempt to gain global parity.

Impact factor scores have been assigned to research journals since 1975 to differentiate high-quality research from routine scientific work and to measure the relative importance of journals within their field. The impact factor of an academic journal represents the average number of citations to recent articles published in the journal. Journals having higher impact factors are considered more reputable, which, in turn, allows them to publish more high-quality work. 

The contribution of any researcher should be evaluated by the cumulative impact factor of his or her publications. Unfortunately, in many places, the number of publications is what is counted. Most of the officials designing policies ignore the fact that individuals doing original work would never be able to generate many papers in a given span of time. Their contributions still could alter the horizon of the understanding in a given field, however. In less privileged parts of the world, an extremely competent researcher who follows the rules and regulations might never be promoted without compromising the quality of his or her work in the race to generate papers. The same could be said for research institutes as a whole in developing countries and, to a lesser degree, in developed ones.

In research, quality should matter more than quantity. Unfortunately, in most of the developing world, quantity is rewarded first, a situation that encourages copycat publication and even plagiarism. Publishing even negative results would help to make the process of learning more transparent.

With security issues and the growth of the Internet, PhD candidates in developing countries are increasingly having to study in local institutions. Connectivity, however, has both positive and negative aspects. Universities in the developing world—in spite of having, more and more frequently, huge buildings and technical support—lack the infrastructure and professional training of their counterparts in wealthier countries. Furthermore, entrance to universities in developing countries is often predicated on doing well on exams that require little more than memorization. The global impact of the work researchers do in “home” institutions is further limited by the language barrier, which keeps some of today’s potentially best scholars from gaining access to internationally recognized institutes for research training.

Such hindrances do not decrease the ambition of researchers in the developing world, nor does it diminish their capability to generate useful hypotheses in the fields of their interest. Even though their facilities may be improving, they are not always in a position to generate data that could support their hypotheses or lead them to discard or modify them. This results in a great loss to the researcher’s immediate scholarly community and to overall knowledge and understanding.

Journals with high impact factors could be part of the solution to the problem of providing better access to global research conversations to researchers in the developing world. These journals could, for example, introduce a section where researchers from all over the world could publish their hypotheses even in the absence of supporting data. Such an approach would bring researchers in the developing world into contact with researchers at other institutions where the needed data could be generated. Encouraging the formation of an independent research evaluation organization to evaluate the submission of research proposals, theses, and published papers, especially in case of authorship disputes, could also be helpful. Researchers from developing countries, after all, can feel bypassed by those from better-funded and more centrally located institutes when they do not receive appropriate credit.

Competent researchers from developing countries often prefer to work abroad, where the environment is more supportive of high-quality research, leaving less competent workers at home. These latter, unfortunately, are the ones who design academic policies that support their own parochial interests while allowing overall standards to deteriorate, increasing the quality gap. There are few explicit global standards to which they need to adhere.

Researcher communities seem to ignore the importance of having competent research groups available in all the disciplines in every region of the globe. More study needs to be done regionally, no matter the field, if we are ever to have global research parity that takes advantage of talent worldwide. Setting comparable standards for research training across the globe should be a matter of concern for all. Research is often focused in commercially significant areas, ignoring the fact that we cannot have new technologies without having done research in basic sciences and other disciplines.

There are large numbers of researchers with PhDs in almost every country, but they are not at all comparable. There are no universally adopted criteria for awarding doctoral degrees, a basic requisite for doing independent research and keeping the quality consistently high.

If we do not opt to change the system, original research could become merely a dream outside of the developed world. I hope we outsiders can learn to learn well and join with the rest before it is too late.

Faiza Abdur Rab is assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Karachi in Pakistan. Her e-mail address is [email protected] .

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Global Perspectives Program

Global Pespectives Program scholars discussing their research in Riva San Vitale

GPP 2016 scholars visiting a lab

Developed in 2005 by former Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education  Karen P. DePauw , the Global Perspectives Program (GPP) is a one-of-a-kind graduate student experience offered through Virginia Tech’s educational facility in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. GPP is an example of a program through which Virginia Tech graduate students participate in an integrated study-at-home (GRAD 5104 and GRAD 5114) and study abroad (GPP) curriculum to better prepare them to succeed as future faculty members and global citizens. This program is an integral part of the Transformative Graduate Education (TGE) initiative offered through the Graduate School.  Graduate School Dean Aimee Surprenant now manages GPP.

The Global Perspectives Program enables graduate students to examine differences in academic practices and to develop innovative and effective approaches that foster international awareness and education. During the trip, participants gather firsthand knowledge about global higher education through (a) visits to a diverse array of universities, (b) discussions with various faculty, administrators, and students, and (c) dialogue among GPP participants.

To be eligible for the Global Perspectives Program, graduate students must successfully complete GRAD 5104 (Preparing the Future Professoriate) and GRAD 5114 (Pedagogical Practices in Contemporary Contexts). Students who have taken one of these courses and are enrolled in the other course for the spring semester are also eligible for consideration. In early November of each year, a call for applications is issued by the Graduate School dean. Applications require name, degree sought, progress toward degree completion, and dates of completion (or future enrollment) for GRAD 5104 and GRAD 5114.

Applicants are also asked to provide an essay articulating their reasons for pursuing the GPP experience and how such an experience is relevant to their aspirations as a future faculty member. Letters of recommendation are neither necessary nor desired.

Graduate School Dean Aimee Surprenant reviews the applications and makes selections by early January. Those students selected are required to attend triweekly seminars during the spring semester. If interested, participants can receive course credit by enrolling in graduate level study abroad course (GRAD 5954). In order to minimize out-of-pocket expenses and make GPP accessible option for all graduate students, the majority GPP expenses are covered by the Graduate School. Further trip details are shared with participants after the group is selected and the itinerary is finalized.

You'll find information about the current Global Perspectives Program scholars on the GPP website . The site also has a list of scholars who belonged to prior cohorts. 

Learn more about GPP on Facebook  and Twitter (@GPPVT). 

Also visit the Global Perspectives website , which includes a wealth of information about the program and past initiatives, including the current scholars cohort and a list of past Global Perspectives scholars. 

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As more employers look for college graduates who can work in diverse settings and approach problems from multiple perspectives, it is more important than ever for Georgia Tech students to gain global experience in their fields. Georgia Tech's Global Research and Internship Program (formerly The Global Internship Program) helps students accomplish this by facilitating industry work and research experiences in an international context.

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All About Cambridge International AS and A Level Global Perspectives and Research

• Last modified 2023-10-18
• Published on 2023-09-05

1. What is Global Perspectives and Research?

In the previous article, we provided an overview of the AS and A Level curriculum , where we mentioned the Global Perspectives and Research class in various Cambridge International qualifications. If students are doing the Cambridge Pre-U, they have two options: participate in the class for two years or participate for one year as a shorter course. The class is in the first half of the Cambridge International A-Level course. Let’s take a step back and understand what the Global Perspectives and Research class offers. 

Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives and Research prepares students with transferable skills: research, critical thinking, and communication. Students will collaborate with their peers in a team project throughout the course. In the course, students will learn to compose a research report based on a research question. There are four components to the course:

• Written Exam: The exam has 3 questions, where students will analyze and evaluate arguments, evidence, and perspectives.
• Essay: Students will submit 1750-200 words discussing a global issue of their choice. 
• Team Project: Students will work with other students to identify a local problem with global relevance, and then research the problem and suggest solutions. Students will submit a presentation and a reflective paper in addition to the group research paper. 
• Cambridge Research Report: Students will conduct independent research using their research questions. Students submit a research report of up to 5000 words and a research log recording the progress.

We know that four components seem like a lot, but students only have to do some of them depending on the route they choose to take. For example, candidates who take AS Level only will do the Written Exams, Essays, and Team Projects. Candidates who take 1 year of AS Level and 1 year of A Level will complete the Written Exam, Essay, and Team Project in the first year, and Cambridge Research Report in the second year. Candidates who take 2 years of A Level will take all four components.

The various routes to the A Level qualification are explained through our  AS and A Level article; but, to sum up, students have three different assessment approaches to the AS and A Level, hence the different component requirements for each assessment: 

• Standalone Assessment (AS Level), where students only take the AS level.
• Staged Assessment (A Level), where students take AS Level in Year 1 and extend the subjects to A Level in Year 2.
• Linear Assessment (A Level), where students take A Level Courses in the same series, or both AS and A2 Level (if students choose to take both AS and A2 Level, Cambridge International will calculate A Level grade as normal based on their performance in the AS and A2 Level).

2. What topics can I research for Global Perspectives and Research?

There is a wide range of topics and themes for students to choose from. The list of global topics is available below: 

Global topics, themes, issues, and perspectives are different aspects of the course that cannot be used interchangeably. Cambridge International provides examples to help students visualize each term and connect them to form a research question.

Because the course is focused on a global perspective, this student thinks of sports in an international context. Within the “Sport in an international context” topic, they then utilize various lenses: economics, politics, culture, ethics, etc. With each theme, there are different questions that students can focus on; for example, “who should be responsible for funding the Olympics?” With that question, there are opposing opinions and perspectives to help you form an argument, along with evidence.

To wrap up, when coming up with a research question, students should first think about the global topics (a list of global topics is above), then decide on a particular field they want to explore. After that, they can apply various perspectives and form arguments that should be accompanied by evidence, reasoning, and the utilization of various reliable sources.

3. Global Perspectives and Research versus Curriculums in other countries

The United States

AS and A Level Global Perspective and Research can be considered to be comparable with the AP Seminar or AP Research in the U.S. The AP Seminar and AP Research are courses in the AP Capstone diploma program. 

The AP Seminar is an introductory course to research. In a year-long AP Seminar course, students learn to investigate real-world issues by synthesizing information from different sources, developing persuasive arguments, and designing and delivering oral and visual presentations in both independent and team environments. The end goal of the AP Seminar class is to equip students with information analysis abilities, evaluation skills, and compelling, evidence-based argument creation. AP Research is a continuation of the AP Seminar, which normally starts in May – from the end of the AP Seminar course. With a solid foundation of research and problem solving, students conduct a yearlong research inquiry addressing a research question. By the end of the year, students will have produced a 5000-word research paper and a 15-20 minute oral defense. 

Both the AP Seminar and Global Perspectives and Research focus on the transferable skills of critical thinking, research, analysis, oral presentation, teamwork, and high-order thinking skills, even though their syllabi and approach to teaching may be different. According to the research conducted by Cambridge International , AS Level Global Perspectives and Research is comparable with the AP Seminar, while the A Level Global Perspectives and Research are comparable with AP Research. The main differences lie in the grading systems and topics covered.

Australia In the same research, Cambridge International mentioned that in Australia, unfortunately, there is not a particular program tailored to research and interpersonal skill development. The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education standard in Australia covers some analysis and evaluation of documents but is not a standalone course like A Level’s Global Perspectives and Research.

Australian students can take several proactive steps to develop research and interpersonal skills. Despite the absence of a specific program in their educational system, they can explore opportunities within their institution by seeking guidance from teachers or faculty members, engaging in extracurricular activities focused on research or debate, and utilizing online resources like Aralia Education, edX, or Khan Academy for research courses. They can also seek research opportunities outside of school, such as internships or volunteer positions, and connect with local and international communities by attending conferences or workshops. Additionally, they can develop self-directed research projects, identifying a topic of interest and formulating research questions.

We hope that this article has provided you with a better understanding of what the class offers, and how it is comparable to the American curriculum. We believe that this class is a unique and valuable opportunity for students who are interested in conducting research and writing research papers, and we encourage you to consider taking it if you have the opportunity.

Further your research skills with Aralia courses

Are you looking to take your research skills to the next level? Look no further than Aralia courses. Our comprehensive and expert-led programs are designed to equip you with the tools and techniques you need to excel in your research endeavors. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to sharpen your research skills and unlock new possibilities. Enroll in an Aralia course today and embark on a transformative learning journey!

This class is for students who are prepping to enter higher education with the hope of pursuing a research field in the context of business research. This course is taught by a scholar-practitioner who has extensive teaching and research experience at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. Under the guidance of the professor, students will write a 15-page paper on business research topics; examples of research topics: The global impact of the “Belt and Road” initiative, China’s 1989 economic reform, How social media makes the world global, Sino-US trade war and more.

Students will use college-level economic theory and models to analyze the financial impact on the global economy. The economic tutor will provide students with the models and tools necessary to write an economic research paper. The economic research project encourages students to integrate their acquired knowledge of economic theory, phenomenon, data, and policy.

Through Historical Research and Writing, students will learn about choosing a topic, composing research questions, effective research methods, drafting, composing, and revising. These skills will be taught with an emphasis on historical research, allowing students to engage in analysis of primary and secondary sources, discover interesting insights in history, and partake in the active pursuit of understanding the importance of the historical study.

Under the guidance of the professor, students will write a 15-page paper on the topic of international relations; examples of research topics: What is globalization? How do we measure it? What are the pros and cons of globalization? What is the best way to reduce government corruption? Use the data of Transparency International, select a country and write a report, etc.

This Psychology Research Program takes knowledge from the Introductory psychology course, leads students to understand all aspects of psychology, and explores their interests through conducting research. The professor will guide students through an empirical review of current psychological literature.

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WGGP promotes the study of human development in international settings. Because such development   has gender, cultural, economic, legal, moral, political, social, and technological dimensions, we emphasize scholarly activities that advance our understanding of how resource  inequalities and gender equity affect individual and community capabilities. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, we address and critically evaluate human development issues by conducting research, impacting policy and decision making as well as practice, educating future academic and policy leaders, engaging academic, policy, government, and non-governmental, and community leaders, and highlighting the centrality of gender in human development.

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Global Perspectives Awards

The Stanford Global Studies Division (SGS) provides Global Perspectives Awards to support research abroad, language training, or other activities for students enrolled in SGS master's programs.

These grants are made possible by the generous support of Mr. Dapeng Zhu and  Ms. Xiao Liu .  The Global Perspectives Fund awards up to $3,000 to SGS M.A. students to support research abroad, language training, and other activities that focus on addressing global and international concerns. 

Read testimonials from past grant recipients.

Eligibility:

Currently enrolled and incoming students in the following SGS master's programs:

• East Asian Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Guidelines:

• Activities must occur and funding must be used during the indicated grant period (Winter break/quarter, Spring break/quarter, or Summer quarter).
• Students must be enrolled in courses and/or considered matriculated by the Registrar's Office during the grant period.
• Awards are not intended for internships. However, applications for research-specific internships will be considered.
• Applications to present original papers at an appropriate conference will be considered.
• The funds are designed primarily for students who have not received financial support from other sources for their projects.
• Students traveling abroad should review the Student Travel Checklist on Stanford's International Affairs website.
• Awardees are asked to submit a short report with images after their trip.
• Awards are up to $3,000.

Required application materials:

Please include:

• A one-page description of the proposed activity that includes a rationale for how it supplements the student’s research.
• A detailed budget outlining expected costs and funding sources.
• Enrolled students must provide the name of one Stanford faculty member to serve as a reference.

Apply for a Global Perspectives Award

Applications for winter break/quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on November 17, 2023.

Applications for spring break/quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on January 30, 2024.

Applications for summer quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on April 12, 2024.

Questions? Please email Kristyn Hara at krishara [at] stanford.edu (krishara[at]stanford[dot]edu)

Global Perspectives Spring Lecture Series

April 17, 2024

Join us for Global Perspectives, a series of six discussions throughout the month of May 2024 examining topics on technology, space, and of the act of research. Guest speakers will be in conversation with University of Washington faculty.

Lectures start May 2 and end May 29, 2024. Location: University of Washington in Seattle at various locations.

Events are free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies in partnership with Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, Center for Global Studies, Center for West European Studies and the Department of Sociology at the University of Washington.

LIST OF SPEAKERS AND TOPICS

Wednesday, May 1 | Thomson Hall 403 Time: 3:00-4:00 p.m. Title: A Conversation about Public Scholarship: How to Convey Academic Research to Broader Audiences Speaker: Lachlan Summers (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science) More details

Thursday, May 2 | Thomson Hall 317 Time: 12:30-2:20 p.m. Title: Negotiating the ‘Geo’ of Cold War Geopolitics: Mexican Earth Scientists and Seismological Practice During the International Geophysical Year (1957-58) Speakers:  Lachlan Summers (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science) and Maritza Gómez (El Colegio de México) in conversation with Mia Bennett, Department of Geography, and Vanessa Freije, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington *Note* There will be a pre-circulated paper for this event, so attendees should RSVP via email to  [email protected] to receive a copy More details

Tuesday, May 7 | Thomson Hall 317 Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m. Title: Can Code be an Actor in our Research? Applying Code Ethnography to Internet Governance Speakers: Fernanda R. Rosa (Virginia Tech) in conversation with Anissa Tanweer, eScience Institute, and Vanessa Freije, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington More details

Wednesday, May 15 | Savery Hall 409 Time: 3:00-4:00 p.m. Title: The Politics of Beneficence: A Call for a Critical Orientation Toward Research Ethics Speaker: Rebecca Tapscott (University of York) More details *This event is being held in-person and online.* Click here to watch ( Sara to confirm if registration is needed)

Thursday, May 16 | Savery Hall 409 Time: 12:00-1:30 p.m. Title: Research Ethics in the Social Sciences: Understanding Global Trends and Their Implications Speaker: Rebecca Tapscott (University of York) More details *This event is being held in-person and online.* Click here to watch ( Sara to confirm if registration is needed)

Thursday, May 29 | Webinar Time: 9:00-10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) Title: Redefining an Underground Economy: Organized Crime, Encrypted Devices, and Law Enforcement Cyber Operations Speaker: James Shires ( European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative (ECCRI) ; European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator (ECCRI CIC); and The Hague Program for International Cybersecurity) in conversation with James Long, Department of Political Science, University of Washington. Moderator: Jessica Beyer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington More details   Click here to watch ( Jessica to confirm if registration is needed)

For general disability accommodation requests, contact us at 206-543-6450 (voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY), 206-685-7264 (fax), or  [email protected] .

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge international as & a level global perspectives & research (9239).

• Syllabus overview

Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives and Research is a skills-based course that prepares learners for positive engagement with our rapidly changing world. Learners broaden their outlook through the critical analysis of – and reflection on – issues of global significance. They will develop unique, transferable skills including research, critical thinking and communication by following an approach to analysing and evaluating arguments and perspectives called the 'Critical Path'.

Collaborative skills are enhanced through participation in a team project. The skills gained through study of this course help students to meet the demands of Twenty-First century learning, preparing the transition to higher education and the world of work.

As part of the course learners write a research report on a research question of their choice. You can find out more information on this on the School Support Hub and viewing the supporting documents.

View our Global Perspectives and Research Statement of Support .

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

• -->2023 - 2025 Syllabus update (PDF, 145KB)
• -->2026 - 2028 Syllabus update (PDF, 150KB)

Syllabus support

• -->2023-2025 Grade Descriptions (PDF, 118KB)

Syllabus updates

We revise our qualifications regularly to make sure that they continue to meet the needs of learners, schools and higher education institutions around the world, and reflect current thinking. Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus document for full details on the changes.

What are the main changes to the syllabus?

• refreshed the list of Cambridge International AS Level topics
• updated the assessment objectives to make the links to the assessed skills clearer.

What are the main changes to the assessment?

• For Component 3, learners can now choose between recording a live presentation or submitting a presentation with a recorded voiceover. This offers greater flexibility for centres and is more accessible for some students.
• The Cambridge Research Report (Cambridge International A Level) is now marked by Cambridge International. We have discontinued the oral explanation and learners do not submit an Outline Proposal Form.

When do these changes take place?

The updated syllabus is for examination from June 2023 onwards. Examinations are available in March 2023 for India only. Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus above for full details.

We are developing a comprehensive range of materials to help you teach the updated syllabus. These resources will be available from June 2021 onwards (before first teaching) through our School Support Hub and include:

• Scheme of work
• Learner guide
• Teacher guide
• Specimen Paper Answers
• Example Candidate Responses (after first examination).

Face-to-face and online training will be available. For up-to-date information, visit our Events and training calendar .

Endorsed resources

Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives and Research (Collins)

Encourage critical thinking, self-reflection and independent thought and provide students the opportunity to engage with key global issues. This series comprises a Student’s Book, Workbook and Teacher’s Guide.

Read more on the Collins website

Guide students along the critical pathway as they advance their Twenty-First century skillsets in areas such as research, reasoning, thinking and communication. Includes essay writing support and guidance for forming research questions.

Read more on the Cambridge University Press website

Important notices

We are withdrawing Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research (9239) from the March exam series. The last March series for this syllabus will be March 2025. 

From 2026, we will only offer this syllabus in the June and November exam series.

We communicated this change to schools in September 2022.

Schools offering Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives can access resources, courses and build online communities through our . Access the Online Learning area .

For some subjects, we publish grade descriptions to help understand the level of performance candidates’ grades represent.

We paused the publication of grade descriptions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the awarding standard in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

As the awarding standard has now returned to the pre-pandemic standard, we are working to produce up-to-date grade descriptions for most of our general qualifications. These will be based on the awarding standards in place from June 2023 onwards.

The national agency in the UK for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills, UK NARIC, has reviewed Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives and found that it is comparable to UK A Level and develops skills that are particularly relevant in preparing students for higher education study internationally. Read the executive summary of the UK NARIC report.

Check the Submit for Assessment page and the samples database for information and guidance on submitting moderated and examined work using Submit for Assessment.

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Study Abroad

• Summer & Winter Abroad
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Students in the Environmental Studies Program are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. Studying outside of the U.S. provides a global perspective on environmental and sustainability issues.

Conduct Research Abroad

Study abroad programs can be a great way to do preliminary research for a senior thesis. Meet with a thesis advisor before departing and gain preliminary approval for your topic to ensure that it will be accepted.

For more information on doing research on your study abroad, contact the ENVS office: envstudies@bc.edu

Study Abroad Credits

Students should not expect to fulfill more than 3 major, minor, or core requirements while abroad.

Approval is required, so contact your advisor and program director to discuss. 

Katie Luniewicz '19 in South Africa to research her senior thesis on elephant conservation with the program SIT Tanzania - Wildlife Conservation and Ecology.

Photo by Gabriela Tejeda '20, while studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia and working at the Melbourne Zoo, a zoo based conservation organization committed to fighting extinction. Due to the clearing of trees and habitat loss, the ring tailed lemur is considered an endangered species.

Environmental Studies Devlin Hall 213 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

617-552-2477