Why This Matters
Global agreements often stall at the level of implementation. New models of action are emerging through regional collaborations grounded in shared histories, cultures, ecosystems, and institutions. The MacMillan Center’s Next Generation Regional Futures initiative equips students to document, analyze, and amplify these models while contributing public-facing research that supports scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.
How this Model is Distinctive
Three main factors set Next Generation Regional Futures apart from the standard student internship experience:
- Iterative hiring
Next Generation student researchers are selected through a highly competitive application process that offers the opportunity to rank a list of priorities and explain whether they have interests in particular regions. Those who are invited to join the team are assigned work directly aligned with their preferred topics and regions, which ensures that the research assistants maintain personal and intellectual to the work throughout the year.
- Dynamic, career-oriented work
Once hired, students are provided with templates, examples, structures for reporting on their progress, and significant leeway. Center leadership offers guidance at strategic intervals, and as the work progresses, the students connect with Yale faculty, alumni, and additional experts – adding dimension to their work while building their networks.
- Visible outcomes
Twice per year, students present their work to a full house of Yale faculty and students. As their research comes to fruition, they also produce:- Explainers: Accessible, research-based guides to key concepts, institutions, and policy frameworks.
- Case Studies: Comparative analyses of regional initiatives addressing global challenges.
- Data & Research Tools: Maps, glossaries, and decision-support resources for deeper exploration.
These outputs are reviewed, approved, and posted to this site to be a durable outcome of their work. Future cohorts will have the opportunity to build on existing work or to blaze new paths. In short, this model offers students the opportunity to collaborate, connect, and become knowledge-producers while building a shared resource at the Yale MacMillan Center.