Student Applications Now Open for Summer Global Tech Consulting Experience
By Abby Simmons
Students interested in completing a 10-week international internship to build their technology consulting skills will find a great summer home in Technology Consulting in the Global Community (TCinGC).
Run by the Information Systems Program, students can find opportunities to consult with government ministries, nonprofits, schools, hospitals, NGOs, small businesses and other organizations that contribute to the social good. TCinGC covers travel costs, and community partners provide housing and a stipend to cover living expenses.
“TCinGC is an opportunity to do work that matters,” said Joe Mertz, head of the Information Systems Program. “Our student consultants provide valuable assistance to organizations who otherwise don’t have access to such technology expertise. And in return, the students have an experience that sets them apart when interviewing for jobs and memories for a lifetime.”
TCinGC is built on over 20 years of experience preparing students to use their technical skills in a capacity-building consulting model developed at CMU: one that emphasizes collaboration, sustainability and partnership.
Last summer, Information Systems seniors Aditya Chanana and Ryan Eckert gained hands-on experience in Majuro, Marshall Islands, working with the Majuro Stevedore and Terminal Company, a cargo transportation and logistics company. The students upgraded the yard control, receiving and billing/collections application, which considerably reduced the amount of time it took the company to produce an invoice.
“TCinGC presented me with an opportunity to learn how to work with people, and to understand the critical role that humans play in the success of any technological system,” Chanana said.
As part of their project, students redesigned and simplified data entry forms, redesigned and improved validation for Majuro Stevedore and Terminal Co.’s database model, rigorously tested the revised application and trained/cross-trained personnel on the new system.
Applications for summer 2020 are now open. The opportunity is available to undergraduate and graduate students from all fields, and students are still eligible to apply for the summer following their graduation from CMU. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by Jan. 27.