Mark Cu

Mark Cu (he/him) is a sophomore majoring in International Relations with specializations in International History & Culture and East & South Asia. He is also minoring in Education with a focus on Education Policy & Research. Mark spoke with us about his IR internship experience, extra-curricular experience, and career goals!

Can you tell us a bit about a recent internship experience you've had?

Last summer, I interned as a journalist with the Filipino news outlet Rappler. I had the amazing opportunity to work with Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and her talented team of investigative reporters. As a Filipino American student, my time in the Philippines was both productive and personally fulfilling. I reported on both big and small stories that expanded my knowledge of the region and its culture. This coming summer, I’m planning on continuing my work in Southeast Asia with a research project in Singapore!

Are there any extra- or co-curricular Stanford activities or student groups you would recommend for IR majors?

Prospective and declared IR majors should definitely consider joining community, ethnic, or identity-based student groups. Learning more about global cultures takes more than just taking classes – students should take advantage of our institution’s diverse backgrounds to learn more about the world around them, especially perspectives they’ve never been to exposed to before.

What are your future career goals?

I plan to pursue graduate school researching comparative higher education and decolonial academia in the Asia-Pacific. My goal is to become a professor and work directly in a university setting!