Global Distinction program students visit Washington think tank

During the student activities trip to Washington, DC last week, several students participating in the Global Distinction Program took an afternoon to learn about policy making with a special visit to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). MPI is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank dedicated to researching issues of migration around the world. Five students and their advisor, Shannon Hahn, met with Jessica Bolter, a research assistant in the Washington office, to discuss the work of MPI in general and the work she does specializing in US immigration policy. The students were interested to learn about the research process, how fieldwork is conducted, and how MPI’s reports can affect policies that are made. This visit gave students a unique opportunity to learn how research affects policy outcomes and also introduced them to some of the people and careers behind that research. This visit was made possible with the help of the Carolina Asia Center.