Rian Elizabeth Wanstreet

  • Nationality:
    United States of America
  • Graduation year:
    Graduation year: 2011
  • Current job:
    Special Projects Manager, Access
  • Study track:

My two years as an Erasmus Mundus scholar has transformed my life in surprising ways. I came into the program having already worked in a professional environment for a number of years, and I had strong expectations for what I needed from the program. Yet I found that while I indeed gained the tools I desired, the program offered me much more.

I was on the York-CEU mobility track. York provided a strong theoretical focus on public administration and public policy, while CEU’s array of classes and rigorous attention to practical application of policy skills vastly increased my ambition for future employment. Further, the diverse student body allowed me to become familiar with systems and institutions across the world in a manner in which I never thought possible. These scholastic attributes combined with the opportunity to live in two magnificent – if diametrically different – European cities, proved to be a unique and awesome experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Currently, I am Special Projects Manager at Access, an international human rights NGO. Access defends and extends the digital rights of users at risk around the world by combining innovative policy, user engagement, and direct technical support. I also maintain my role as a Research Fellow at the Center for Media, Data and Society at CEU, where I continue work that I began during my studies.