Global Experience Certificate (GEC)

A certificate that recognizes your accomplishments in internationalization at home and abroad. This will allow you to:

  • Develop skills that will help you stand out to employers
  • Enhance your intercultural interactions and develop your language skills
  • Experience intercultural immersion and get a competitive international advantage
  • Get recognition for your experience studying or working abroad
  • Gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of systems and practices in local/global contexts

Position yourself as a future leader and give yourself a competitive advantage. Learn the program requirements, application process, and what a great experience it can be from other Waterloo students, like Farzaan, who completed the GEC with the help of the Rension International Office.  

" ""Working towards my GEC allowed me to take a Peace and Conflict course that I would not have taken otherwise. I felt that I learned a lot about styles of confrontation and how to identify the best way to approach and solve a situation by considering the other person's perspective." - Hannah

" ""This experience helped me develop key skills like time management, planning and organization. I was also able to enhance my intercultural and communication skills throughout the different components of the GEC, which taught me to be more adaptive and open-minded within a variety of work environments." - Connor

" ""The two French courses I took helped me succeed on my exchange in Switzerland and the volunteer experience with the International Peer Community gave me an opportunity to display my leadership. Overall, the GEC helped me build an excellent international experience, encouraged me to explore more in the world, and improved my confidence in a multi-cultural environment." - Hanhui

" ""By obtaining a GEC, I feel as though I have gained an appreciation for the intricacies of language acquisition and cultural awareness. This has helped me be more aware of myself and how my language and actions affect those around me. In terms of my academics, I have been inspired to explore the study of linguistics. In my professional life, I feel as though more doors have been opened thanks to the knowledge I gained by participating in the program." - Regan

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"I wanted to gain some international experience, and the GEC provided a comprehensive package! I improved my French, studied French culture and made international friends though the SHADOW Program. All of these helped me immensely when I was in Europe. My Global Studies Course put my international experience into context." - Su Jin

" ""My GEC experiences helped me grow because I was exposed to so many different cultures and allowed myself to be more open to them. Being surrounded by results-driven people in Boston helped me become stronger academically and I learned how to present myself as a better professional in the workplace." - Marissa