Steven Olikara, a political science and environmental studies major from Brookfield, Wisconsin, has been traveling in China this summer, exploring Wisconsin connections and interests.
Olikara, UW–Madison’s incoming senior class president, wants to ramp up the university’s engagement of new alumni chapters abroad and facilitate a broader array of opportunities for students as they graduate.
“The most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, from energy security to climate change, will require cooperation between U.S. and China. I want to make sure University of Wisconsin students are at the forefront of leading solutions to these challenges. That’s why I think it’s so important that we understand how both societies operate and relate to each other,” he says.
“It is stunning how well represented Badgers are in key economic centers, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong,” he says.
Previously, Olikara worked with the International Internship Program on developing a new hybrid study abroad/service-learning program, “China: History and Modern Development of Environmental Health.”
The program includes a faculty-led historical and environmental study trip through China, followed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty embarking on a service-learning field project focused on sustainable development and global health issues in Sichuan Province.
He shared a few photos from his travels.
