Global Projects Program
“WPI had the foresight to create a program that said education isn’t confined to a lecture hall. That true learning happens out in the world side by side with regular people in places that are unfamiliar facing problems that are real. WPI students are entering the workforce with practical knowledge, a global perspective, and a proven ability to lead across cultures and disciplines. That gives them an edge.”
-U.S. Representative Jim McGovern on April 15, 2025 at the celebration of 50 years of the Global Projects Program
Not Your Typical Study Abroad Program
Our Global Projects Program is not an ordinary study abroad experience—like everything else at WPI, it’s distinctive. Regardless of if you choose to work across the city or across the ocean, it’s the experience that takes you further—you’ll work to make a profound impact to communities and organizations, and come back a different person than you were before.
Global Impact
Familiar, but a World Away
Students at the Cape Town, South Africa project center work to support the local population.
Using the Right Tech to Challenge Misinformation in Romania
Students at the Romania project center discover solutions by combining science and technology.
Curious Learners in the Global Crossroads of Singapore
Singapore is home to one of WPI’s newest project centers.
Soaking Up the Culture While Doing Research in London
Many students drawn to the London project centers have a passion for the arts and are eager to soak up all the theatre, literary history, and culture they can in their spare time.
WPI Receives 2023 IIE Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education
The IIE Heiskell Award recognizes and showcases innovative and successful models for developing and expanding international education opportunities. WPI was selected for its commitment to the Global Projects Program and specifically the Global Projects for All initiative—spotlighting a signature component of the university’s project-based learning model.
Personal and Professional Impact
It’s easy for us to say that the Global Projects Program can be life-changing, so we want you to hear it from those who lived it—a survey of over 2,200 WPI alumni revealed that their project experiences impacted them long after their time at WPI. Even more powerful was the impact of those project experiences through the Global Projects Program.
Q&A with Colin Watters, Director of Global Risk Management
Answers to questions about ways to keep travelers safe
Q&A with Professor Karen Oates
The professor of biology and biotechnology answers questions about the Master of Science in Global Health and its ties with the Global Projects Program.
Q&A: Kent Rissmiller and Kathleen Head
As it turns 50, discover how WPI's Global Projects Program evolved into a signature educational experience.
Donor Profile
Anonymous Generous Support
Anonymous Donors Contribute $6.1 Million to Support Students