Erin MacIver (left) and Antoinette Davis are embarking on the research opportunity of a lifetime. The two are travelling to Pretoria, South Africa this summer to participate in a five-month International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

The interns will assist HSRC’s Human and Social Development program and the HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB program. They will work on research projects dealing with sex and gender-based analysis and the social and ecomonic determinants of health. South Africa is heavily burdened by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and by severely under-resourced health services.

Antointette has high expectations for the experience, saying that she hopes to “further my experience with gender-based analysis, put into practice my theoretical knowledge, and learn from some amazing professionals in my field.”

The program is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and developed through a partnership between HSRC, the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health and the Global Health Office at Dalhousie University.

Antoinette considers herself fortunate to be able to travel to South Africa and believes the program is “engaged in some really fascinating HIV and AIDS research work.” Antoinette and Erin will be in Pretoria from early July to early December.

Read Antoinette’s blog about her experiences here: http://idsgradonthemove.wordpress.com/

Read Erin’s blog about her experiences here: http://eemaciver.wordpress.com/