Eurasia Center

Researcher

May - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I appreciated how we had weekly meetings with Dr. Janco. This helped keep me accountable for my work and made my own work seem more personable. I also enjoyed the freedom to choose a topic that I was interested in.

What I wish was different

I do hope that the website will have a new look in the near future.

Advice

I think this is an excellent opportunity for those interested in International Affairs and stepping out into the world of internships. You learn what foreign affairs issues you are interested in writing about. This opportunity is also a great first internship for a resume builder. I recommend it for those looking to get their foot in the door in undergrad!

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Eurasia Intern

January - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Amazing team with great understanding and knowledge. The director was always in contact and trying to help with anything. Very clear on expectations and how to do the work. Great communication and very flexible with timing, perfect for students to learn and grow.

What I wish was different

Advice

Take the opportunity and maximize your capacity.

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Director

September 2022 - May 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I have obtained a lot of writing and communication skills from this internship, and my passion about Business and international relationships has been expanded a lot. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the America-Eurasia Center for their support, guidance, and encouragement during my internship.

What I wish was different

I wish it can a paid position, if the organization have a office in DC and we can have weekly meeting there that would be better.

Advice

maybe we can have more in-person work opportunity.

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Assistant to the Director

May 2022 - February 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

The Eurasia center aligns perfectly with what my interests and career path is. I appreicated that I coould decide how much or little time I had to commit to it weekly depending on my schedule. I had a lot of space to decide where I wanted to help and what assignments I could do. I could choose to write articles on anything I wanted and was able to promote the non-profit on social media after I asked to help out in that department as well

What I wish was different

I really enjoyed the internship overall. One thing I would've appreciated even more would've been the possibility to have an in-person office where we could meet and bounce ideas around. This wasn't possible since they closed their office during the pandemic but I know Dr. Janco is planning to open another one in the next few month in Northwest DC which will make the internship even better.

Advice

This is a perfect place to start off when you have little to no experience since there is a lot of flexibility and the President Dr. Janco is very understanding when people have midterms and finals and can't commit as much time during a certain week. He is always open and available as long as you get your work done. This place will give you an idea of how the non-profit environment works without feeling too overwhelmed with a workload you can't handle while you're still trying to figure things out.

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Research Assistant

May - August 2022 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Flexible schedule and assignments.

What I wish was different

Less outreach to organizations and businesses

Advice

Disorganized

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Research Assistant

May - August 2022 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I really enjoyed the content of the research I did as well as the overall mission of the Eurasia Center. They are doing some great work.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been paid, but I understand why it was not.

Advice

Be open to exploring areas of research that peak your interest, like I was able to during this internship.

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Research Assistant

August - December 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

The flexibility in schedule is the only thing about this internship that could be considered a high point.

What I wish was different

I would strongly advise any student against working here. There is no oversight on assignments, no structure whatsoever, no clear idea about what the organization actually does, and no real work to do. I am still not sure what the Eurasia Center does, or if it is even a real organization. Work included writing articles about anything you wanted for the website, which is not updated or well-designed at all. We received long, extremely confusing emails with many spelling/grammar mistakes every week from the director instead of any clear communication. We were split into "teams" but never given guidance on what to do in these "teams." I never met anyone in person. We only had a brief meeting every week on zoom, where interns would share what they were "working on" that week. Dr. Janco is very nice, but I did not learn anything. As a group, the interns met a few times to discuss our concerns about the lack of communication and confusion over what the EC does, but nothing came out of it.

Advice

This internship showed me what not to look for in a job. I really would not recommend any work with this organization. It was very disappointing overall and I wish I did not devote my time to it. Handshake should stop recommending this internship to GW students and others.

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Research Intern

August 2019 - May 2020 • Washington, DC

What I liked

The Eurasia Center provides excellent opportunities to develop professional writing skills and build your network in Washington, DC. You are able to choose an area of interest and write about that interest while receiving feedback that will help with both academic and professional writing. The Eurasia Center's conferences are a great place to meet knowledgeable experts and build connections in DC. The internship can be tailored around your schedule. Dr. Janco is very reponsive and makes the importance of every assignment clear while also being understanding if any issues come up. Skills like teamwork and working within a structure are developed in this internship which prepares interns for professional environments.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Research Intern

September - December 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Interns are able to commit as much or as little time as they want to this, and can decide what topics to write articles on. There is a lot of flexibility. It's very easy and something to put on your resume.

What I wish was different

There was not much to do, no deadlines, and no structure at all. We had brief meetings once a week where we went around and said what we had each done that week, but there was really no solid platform to communicate with the other interns. We received long emails every week with random messages, not much helpful information. Most of the tasks felt tedious, and it is concerning that the Eurasia Center's website and social media profiles look so unprofessional and unfinished.

Advice

I cannot recommend this internship to other students. After interning here for one semester, I can say that I'm still not entirely sure what exactly it is that the Eurasia Center does. We were told we were doing "program development" but never received communication or concrete tasks from the "teams" we were assigned to. There is no real building, it seems just like a director and some friends and a bunch of interns who aren't sure what they're doing either. Some of the interns met once over zoom to discuss similar concerns, but everyone ended up just doing the required assignments until the internship ended. It would take a lot of work to redesign the organization's website and profiles. Overall, this internship was confusing and disappointing. It was helpful in its flexibility and in learning what to avoid when looking for future positions.

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Research Intern

January - May 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

You can write articles about the topics you're interested in and passionate about, and perhaps publish them on the website. You can also strengthen your valuable practical skills- writing, analyzing, communicating skills. You get a lot of flexibility. Dr. Janco genuinely cares about each intern.

What I wish was different

Advice

Choose projects that interest you and seek out opportunities given at this organization.

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Research Intern

January 2020 - May 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

- Since the assignments revolve around universally useful skills like grant writing, databasing, and writing policy briefs, it's a good opportunity to gain practical experience with these skills. - Policy briefs written by interns are made available on the website, which makes it a good opportunity for interns to get their written work published - Hours and assignments are flexible. Meaningful assignments are readily available for those who want a greater workload, but the organization is also very accommodating with those with tighter schedules - The Director of the Eurasia Center, Dr. Janco, personally engages with his interns and provides them with direct assistance when needed - The organization has hosted multiple conferences in the past, and these can be great opportunities to develop skills in event planning and to expand professional networks

What I wish was different

Advice

I would recommend working at the Eurasia Center for anyone wanting a flexible schedule and assignment load, as well as an opportunity to develop skills useful in the think tank field like writing policy briefs, managing correspondence, and event planning.

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Research Assistant

January - May 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Pretty independent position. Dr. Janco allows you to use your time with him to pursue things that interest you. The deadlines are fairly flexible and as long as you communicate with your superiors about what you would be interested in doing you can get a lot out of it.

What I wish was different

While there were attempts at fostering a closer community, I took this position during the pandemic, meaning that we were unable to meet in person. As a result, I am not as close with other individuals working in the organization as I otherwise would be.

Advice

You get what you put into it for this position. If you take the initiative and seek out opportunities to contribute via research or writing, you can get a lot of things done with the Eurasia Center. However, if you wait for people to tell you what to do, you won't gain much from the experience.

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Research Assistant

August - October 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

It was something to write on your resume, but then delete after you land another internship.

What I wish was different

I wish that I was smart enough to see this internship as a total hoax. I also think there should be some oversight and universities should not allow fake internships on their Handshake pages?

Advice

The Eurasia Center is not real. I don't know how else to say it. It does not host significant events or do real work. The work included sending 20 pages filled with random emails to people. You could write an article.. that would be published on their website.. but it doesn't carry any significant value. I question how and where the Director, Gerard Janco, makes his money. It truly baffles me how he has done this for decades. Then, when he receives criticism on Handshake he responds in a completely unprofessional manner. Nice guy, I must admit, but a huge waste of your time.

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Research Intern

January - May 2017 • Washington, DC

What I liked

What I wish was different

I cannot recommend a Eurasia Center internship (if it can even be called that). It's hard to explain, but it seems like the organization itself doesn't really exist. Rather, it's just the founder/director, a few of his friends, and an army of unpaid interns. They don't have office space (we met in Marvin Center on campus), and the website is almost non-existent. They supposedly host events, but these didn't occur when I interned for them. They also publish articles online, but the only ones I could find were seriously below standard. It seemed like an unofficial shadow organization based on the founder's network. For example, I was discouraged from including bad (but accurate) economic data about Georgia because is friends with some of their diplomats. None of the interns had any idea what we were supposed to be doing. Assignments were extremely vague, and often tedious. For example, updating economic data about each country for their 'country reports', or updating information on the world's wealthiest individuals to contact for grant money. There was no mentorship whatsoever. We were unpaid. I didn't gain any transferrable skills, only something to put on my resume.

Advice

In my opinion, I don't think GW should recommend the Eurasia Center to any of its students.

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Research Assistant

May - December 2020 • Washington, DC

What I liked

- Freedom to engage in research that helped me discover my areas of interest in International Affairs - Received valuable practical skills and experiences (publication editing, brief/report writing, writing for conference presentations, working in a fast-paced environment, and team collaboration) - Deepened understanding in the day to day operations of a grassroots NGO organization - The possibility for upward mobility within the internship program

What I wish was different

- More concrete deadlines for assignments

Advice

Self-driven personalities will get more out of the opportunities given at this organization.

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research intern

May 2020 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I liked that interns were given a lot of flexibility. We were able to choose topics to research that were interesting to us and were given assignments to complete on our own time. Dr. Janco made it clear that our school work came first and genuinely cares about each of the interns and their goals. It also gave me great experience working for an international non-profit. Returning for a second semester as an intern allowed me to get more involved and feel like I was actually able to have an impact on the organization.

What I wish was different

Advice

Make your interests clear and seek out opportunities that you would enjoy!

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Research Intern

January 2020 • Milton, Otago

What I liked

-The connections and relationships I made will help me in my future career -I learned a lot about working for an international NGO -I was able to write and research topics that I am passionate about -I was assigned projects that made me feel like I was really involved with the company

What I wish was different

Advice

In my year that I've spent at the Eurasia Center, I can certainly say that I've developed important skills and expanded my network. Each semester, I have been able to conduct an independent research project on a topic that I'm interested in, which was rewarding in many ways. I was given significant responsibilities that made me feel like I was more than an intern, and I felt vital to the company. Dr. Janco cares about his interns and will take the time to talk to you individually if you reach out. Despite the remote conditions due to Covid-19, I am very happy with my experience at the Eurasia Center and I would recommend applying to this internship to any student looking to gain experience working and collaborating with people in the international field.

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Research Intern

September - December 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

-You get to write articles about the topics you're interested in and perhaps publish them on the website -You may get a chance to attend or help out at an event the Center organizes, generally they invite representatives/speakers from various countries to discuss certain policy issues -Time commitment is very flexible, you can put as much or as little into the internship as you want -Dr. Janco, the President, could put you in touch with other contacts in the sphere, he can also write you a good letter of recommendation -People may mistake this on your resume for the 'Eurasia Center' on the Atlantic Council, or 'Eurasia Group', a prestigious consulting firm, even though this is not even close

What I wish was different

-Tasks were mostly repetitive and tedious eg. sending out mass emails, updating grant lists on wealthy individuals, writing and updating 'Country Reports' that nobody sees -No real office space or centralized location, everyone meets for an hour each week on GWU's campus and then goes and does their own thing -Interns aren't paid, no opportunities for any career advancement or further positions within the organization, it's just Dr. Janco, his friends, and a rotating group of interns -No transferable skills gained besides writing and research, which is all self-directed anyway

Advice

I would recommend this if 1) you have very limited time on your hands or 2) you're just starting out and need something on your resume to get a foot in the door somewhere else. Otherwise, it's really not worth it compared to other think-tank internships out there.

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