Kevin Dupont ’16 has made the world his classroom

Senior shares his excitement for globetrotting and I am Global Week at Brandeis

The world is most definitely a small place for Kevin Dupont ’16.
 
The North Dighton, Massachusetts native has always desired a greater connection to life outside American borders and has made globetrotting his passion.
 
In fact, Dupont is hoping the campus community is inspired by his connection to the world as Brandeis celebrates I am Global Week, which promotes integration between domestic and international students and showcases the university’s global community.
 
“Even before coming to Brandeis, I always wanted to pursue international work,” said Dupont, an international and global studies and anthropology double major. “Seeing a different part of the world is exciting—you go face-to-face with new people, places and view points.”
 
Dupont speaks from experience, having traveled and studied abroad extensively the past few years both for his own enrichment and for his thesis.
 
In the fall of 2014, he studied in Geneva, Switzerland, where he interned with the United Nations and worked with non-government organizations and humanitarian groups examining migration into Italy. When Dupont returned, he secured a $9,000 Circumnavigators Club Foundation travel grant to study social media’s global impact.
 
“I never thought I was going to get that opportunity,” Dupont said. “The goal of that trip was to improve international relationships via new methods, such as social media, and create a better atmosphere for the global community.”
 
Dupont’s international research project took him to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Israel, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco over a two-month period. On the trip, he met with Brandeis alumni living abroad and interviewed professionals in various fields of work to gauge how social media affected them in their country.
 
On occasion, his travels tested his will and his resourcefulness. He became ill with salmonella in Morocco, and he had to find a safe and unexpected departure from Tunisia after a terror attack rocked the country.
 
“It was scary at times,” Dupont admitted. “But those experiences showed me that I can handle a lot more than I thought I could, especially while on my own.”
 
Dupont’s appreciation for the knowledge gained through international travel led him to become an ambassador for the Office of Study Abroad.
 
“Looking internationally is important, as there are different perspectives from various corners of the globe that should be brought to light,” explained Dupont.
 
After he graduates this spring, Dupont wants to pursue a career with the U.S. Department of State and eventually become an ambassador. He’s already on his way, as he’s fluent in six languages and is working on a project through the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan to connect Azerbaijani and Americans via social media.
 
“I love that I have the opportunity to establish roots between two places,” said Dupont. “Sometimes we think the world is a big place. In reality, it’s actually pretty small.”
 
I Am Global Week, which features a number of student cultural performances and the annual Global Bazaar, started on Friday, Nov. 13 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 21. The Office of the Provost, Study Abroad and International Students and Scholars sponsor the week’s events.