Elizabeth Alene ’28 stands beneath the African Union emblem at the organization’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Elizabeth Alene ’28 spent her Global Perspective summer in Addis Ababa moving from meeting notes to her own diplomatic research on China-Africa relations.
Thirty handshakes in the first hour.
Walking into the Peace and Security Building on her first day, Elizabeth Alene ’28 met diplomats, senior policy officials, ambassadors, and China-Africa experts. Their excitement to work with her and their willingness to share their time was an extraordinary welcome to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
It was also the beginning of a Global Perspective summer that would take Elizabeth from writing meeting notes to conducting her own diplomatic research across three major conferences.
Elizabeth Alene ’28 stands at a lectern between the flags of the United States and the African Union.
The question behind China’s investments
China has invested heavily in African infrastructure over the past two decades: railways, ports, highways, and telecommunications networks. The scale is unprecedented, and so are the questions.
What does this relationship mean for Africa’s future? How can African nations strengthen partnerships while maintaining sovereignty? What role should the African Union play in informing these connections?
Elizabeth came to Addis Ababa to understand China’s role in the African Union and to explore how the China-Ethiopia relationship could be sustainably strengthened. She would do it through what diplomacy does best: conversations with people who know.
From note-taker to researcher
In her first weeks, Elizabeth wrote meeting notes, helped edit policy briefs, and assisted with logistics for summits. She learned the rhythm of continental diplomacy.
Then she recognized there was space to do more.
“After building a network, I started conducting research by interviewing over thirty professionals, crafting policy briefs that support my own research, and seeking out guidance for practical analysis of China-AU relations,” Elizabeth said.
She created multilingual policy briefs. She analyzed peace and security frameworks. She developed recommendations for strengthening China-AU relations. And she leveraged her growing network to attend three China-Africa conferences in Addis, each one expanding her understanding and her connections.
The work gave her something textbooks couldn’t: on-the-ground experience in how continental diplomacy functions.
The people behind the policy
Elizabeth’s work in Addis Ababa depended as much on conversation as research. Over the course of the summer, she interviewed more than thirty senior policy officers, ambassadors, diplomats and members of the Ethiopian Investment Commission.
Many of them made time to answer her questions, explain their work, and offer advice as she developed her own analysis of China-Africa relations.
An Ethiopian coffee ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with coffee being poured into small cups.
“Ethiopia is known for its hospitality, but seeing such high-level professionals so willing to share their time and advice was heartwarming and made adjusting to the AU environment a lot easier,” she said.
Those conversations gave Elizabeth a firsthand understanding of diplomacy that no policy brief could provide. They showed her that international relations advances not only through formal negotiations and institutional policy, but also through the relationships that make meaningful collaboration possible.
Building a foundation
For Elizabeth, who is interested in international relations and diplomatic careers, this summer wasn’t just an internship. It was proof of concept.
“This summer showed me my goals of working in international relations are far closer to me than I thought,“ she said.
She now has connections across the African Union system, experience crafting multilingual policy documents, and she knows what it feels like to walk into a room of senior officials and contribute meaningfully to the conversation.
“This experience strengthened my commitment to China-Africa relations and set the foundation for a diplomatic career,“ Elizabeth said. “I will carry this AU experience into my academic journey and post-graduate experiences, whether through NGO work or international business consulting.“
A view across Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from an elevated vantage point.
