Laidlaw leadership-in-action and other international experiences sent groups of Cornell students abroad last summer to pursue their academic and professional goals. At the Nov. 19 International Research Showcase, they'll share their work with the Cornell community.
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During her time in Mushullakta in the Amazon of Ecuador, Aima Raza ’27 spent many mornings waking up at 4 a.m. to participate in a daily tea ceremony. Along with 23 fellow Laidlaw scholars and the group’s Indigenous Kichwa host families, community members shared their dreams for a community leader to interpret.
“I had a dream about a spider on my face, and he interpreted it as ‘There’s something holding you back,’” she said. “I took that personally as I need to do some introspection.”
Personal and professional introspection are key parts of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program’s leadership-in-action experience for scholars like Raza, a student in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Laidlaw scholars learned about sustainable building practices and helped to build this structure for maternal housing.
Led by the Pachaysana Institute, a collective of Ecuadorian and international educators, environmentalists, teaching artists and community organizers, the program taught scholars about community-led organizing and practices in sustainability and education.
The group learned through doing: how to build sustainable buildings and farms, tell stories through movement and decolonize education. Through their experience, the Laidlaw scholars were inspired to transform Kichwa folklore into a children’s book for the local school.
“The project not only preserved cultural memory, but also became a sustainable, replicable model for integrating local narratives into educational curricula,” said Raza.
Raza has a few words of advice for Cornell students considering Laidlaw and similar cohort-based experiences.
“You have to be hands-on and get dirty. You have to know yourself and how you might react to certain situations,” she said. “But being with my cohort made it a lot better. Getting to know the other Laidlaw scholars better was my favorite part of the program, and it really enriched the experience.”
Laidlaw scholars were immersed in Ecuadorian culture for six weeks, learning from communities in Quito, Mushullakta, Pintag and more.
“America is a very individualistic culture and suddenly being in a communal environment was a new context for me,” she said. “In Ecuador, I learned to balance these values of community and independence in practice, staying true to my moral compass while respecting the perspectives and dignity of others.”
For Raza, this work is a stepping stone to her future career goal of joining the foreign service. This fall, she is continuing to build her international resume by studying abroad in Ireland on the ILR Semester in Dublin.
The Laidlaw Scholars Program is one of many international and academic opportunities offered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies for undergraduate and graduate students. Global Internships, offered in collaboration with the Office of Global Learning, send groups of students to countries around the world each summer.
In Singapore, Global Intern Frank Fang ’26 joined the lab of Yamin Zhang at the National University of Singapore (NUS), part of the Cornell Global Hubs network.
He worked on projects including developing a small pacemaker that can be inserted without surgery and a self-powered wound healing patch. In the lab each week, he would research existing technologies and designs that could help improve these medical tools and test them out.
Fang and his fellow lab members at NUS.
From his work as a biological engineering major in the College of Agriculture and Life Science’s In Vivo Fluid Dynamics Lab, Fang brought technical skills like 3D printing and laser cutting. But at NUS, “I learned how to pace myself better as a researcher,” he said.
“We had weekly meetings, and I learned how to present progress rather than results,” said Fang. “I also discovered that I have a true love and passion for research. My goal is to be a doctor who serves internationally, applying engineering and research skills to improve patient outcomes.”
Fang is now considering applying for an MD/PhD dual program, as well as medical school.
Fang’s international community also grew beyond the lab as he explored Singapore, studied for the MCAT, volunteered at a healthcare clinic for migrant workers and joined a local church thanks to a connection with Cru Cornell alum Andrew Sung ’13.
“I was most surprised by the friendships,” he said. “I made some amazing friends in the lab, at church and at NUS.”
Longfei Chen, a postdoctoral researcher at NUS and Fang’s mentor, was a part of this network. “He set a tone of care for the members of the lab, and people felt like family more than coworkers. This was so contrary to American work culture.”
Sharing meals with friends and mentors at NUS helped Fang build community in Singapore.
“Dr. Chen taught me that it is possible to get to know your coworkers well, and that happens through leading by example and inviting people to share meals!”
Fang will be one of over 70 Global Interns and Laidlaw scholars presenting their summer work in a poster session at the annual International Research Showcase on Nov. 19, hosted by the Einaudi Center and cosponsored by the Office of Global Learning. Attendees can also enjoy research speed talks by Einaudi Center graduate students and visiting scholars. Refreshments will be served.
Undergraduate students interested in international summer experiences should apply for Global Internships by December 15, the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program by January 12 or summer study abroad programs by the last Friday in February.
Megan DeMint is new media manager for Global Cornell.
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