Yvonne Ilupeju and Sikelelwe Mtshizana were 2023 Summer Research Interns with the Global Diversity Lab (GDL) at MIT’s Department of Political Science. Yvonne is a Master of Philosophy student at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and Sikelelwe is a Masters student at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Which projects did you work on during the GDL summer research program? 

Yvonne: I worked with [GDL Director] Evan Lieberman on research about how the ultra-wealthy contribute to climate change. For my independent research project, I am looking at the political ecology of electronic waste smuggling in Ghana. Informal processing of electronic waste through open burning is dangerous for workers and creates harmful environmental impacts for those who live near waste processing sites, but Ghana’s e-waste regulations have so far not been effective in reducing unsafe e-waste processing. I am researching the motivations of the formal and informal actors involved in the Ghanaian e-waste economy. I am also analyzing how a 2022 ban on the import of secondhand electronic devices will impact the voting behavior of those involved the e-waste economy in the next elections.

Sikelelwe: During the Pathways@GDL summer research program, I had the privilege of working with Professor Mai Hassan on an ongoing project that delves into the nuanced landscape of Sudanese civilian attitudes towards the regime of Omar Al-Bashir. My role encompassed a range of responsibilities aimed at harnessing the power of data analysis and visualization. Specifically, I leveraged the R programming language to analyze and visualize data pertaining to levels of trust within civil society and sentiments towards political parties. This data was sourced from sources such as the Arab and Afro Barometers.

What did you learn through the GDL summer research program? What were the best parts of the experience?

Yvonne: This program gave me the opportunity to learn new research skills and look at political science questions from new perspectives. As part of my work with Evan Lieberman, I used the statistical software R to conduct data analysis, which is not something I’d done before in political science research. A highlight of the program for me was the weekly seminars. I plan to apply to PhD programs, so speaking with faculty and grad students gave me useful information on the application process and firsthand insight into the experience of PhD students.

Sikelelwe: Throughout the course of the program, my intellectual journey was immensely enriched. I acquired proficiency in R programming and GIS techniques, which were central to my role as a Research Assistant in this Summer. In a broader context, the program provided me with invaluable insights into the ongoing research pursuits of faculty members and graduate students. This exposure deepened my understanding of the scope and methodologies intrinsic to political science research at MIT. Additionally, engaging informally with graduate students and faculty members gave me a clearer understanding of the ethos and culture of pursuing a PhD in political science. These interactions unveiled the daily lives, challenges, and triumphs of MIT’s political science students, which offered me a tangible perspective to their academic journeys.