[media-credit id=1 align=”alignleft” width=”221″][/media-credit]James Eggers
Class of 2013, international affairs major
Participating in Dialogue of Civilizations program in Portugal

Here in Lisbon, we are taking language classes and our afternoons are dedicated to learning more about the culture of the Portuguese people through site visits. The site visits are phenomenal. We have been able to go to the U.S. embassy, where we learned about the State Department’s interaction with the Portuguese. This visit was important to me because I was able to speak with people who are currently working for our government, and that is something that I am very interested in.

I have always wanted to work in government. Since coming to Northeastern, I have had the opportunity to go abroad via the Dialogue programs, and I now realize that I want to be able to travel abroad while working for the government. Being able to participate in this Dialogue program in Portugal, and another one in Brazil last year, has helped me to make valuable contacts, strengthen my competitiveness in the job market and narrow down my job search.

Another memorable visit was to the Foreign Ministry in Portugal. I was greeted in the same location that President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton were during their trip here earlier this year. The Dialogue has a strong focus on the Portuguese language, as well as government.