By Santi Elbow
This coming spring semester, there are five faculty-led programs that will travel outside of the United States as part of the course curriculum.
Global Studies 330: Paris, France
Global Studies 330, a class about the Harlem Renaissance in Paris, is offered for the first time this coming spring semester. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Geoff Adelsberg and Associate Professor of English Ashley Byock are the co-professors of the course, which will travel to Paris during Summer 2020.
According to Edgewood’s study abroad website, “At the heart of this course is travel to Paris, where we will explore cultural and historic sites related to prominent Black American, French, Caribbean, and African creative and intellectual communities. We will also visit areas of Paris that are significant for contemporary Black French and diasporic communities.”
Coursework will include lectures of art history, Black culture in Europe, and music.
Biology 369: Galapagos Islands
The science department will be running Biology 369 for the third time this upcoming spring, which includes a trip to the Galapagos Islands during the summer of 2020. The class has previously been offered in 2012 and 2016.
Biology Lab Manager Johnathan Edmondson will be facilitating the course. Edmonson said one of the goals of the Galapagos trip is “to get students who are traditionally from Wisconsin to travel to the Galapagos Islands to see how different the environment is there.”
The class will focus on topics and issues facing the Galapagos Islands in order to prepare the students for the trip. Then, while on the trip, each student will be with a National Park guide. “What we like is the students to have just a basic knowledge of what to expect, and the guides can build off of what they already learned,” Edmondson said.
Some of the issues that students will learn about are the need for fresh water on islands like the Galapagos and the consequences of tourism.
Sociology/Ethics 385: Oaxaca City, Mexico
Edgewood Bridging Boarders: U.S./Mexican Immigration Program will run for its fifth time through the course Sociology/Ethics 385 in the spring. The class will travel to Mexico over spring break. It first ran in 2010.
Professor of Social Sciences Julie Whitacker will facilitate the course. “The idea of the class is for students to understand better roots and immigration from Mexico to the U.S.,” she said, “and also to my students, a broader understanding of how rich and interesting and diverse Mexico is because a lot of people tend to have misconceptions about Mexico”.
This year, students and faculty will go to Oaxaca City, Mexico. Whitacker hopes to learn about immigrants who come from Central America and are making their path through Mexico. “Overall, the goal of the trip is for students to feel a little more connected to what Mexico is all about,” she said. “Also, to understand how Mexico is involved with migration and people coming to the U.S. through South and Central America”.
One of the other goals Whitacker has set for the students is for them to learn more about gender diversity. Whitacker said there is a group of people in Oaxaca called “muxe,” which is a third gender.
“My hope is that students leave Mexico with a richer perspective on how people in Mexico think about immigration,” Whitaker said.
History 310/390: Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou, China
Edgewood China: Traditions and Transformations will also be offered for a fifth time during Spring 2020. Students can sign up via History 310 (COR2) or History 390 (COR3). The trip to three of China’s cities will be during the summer following the semester.
The trip is led by Edgewood professors Jinxing Chen of History and Binbin Fu of English. Chen said, “The course examines the impact of Chinese cultural tradition in current Chinese society and the force of change that has challenged Chinese tradition in the 21st century.”
This class normally meets once a week and consists of lectures, discussions, practicing Chinese calligraphy, and film viewing, according to Chen.
The students on the trip will have exchanges with Chinese students in the area in order to develop research topics. “When we are in China, besides visiting schools, Chinese homes, cultural or historical sites and other organizations, we also attend lectures offered by Chinese professors and interact with ordinary Chinese,” Chen said. Students are to carry journals with them throughout the trip to write down their insights.
“Our hope is that hopefully students will gain understanding of what a just and compassionate world means in a global context and through different cultural lenses,” said Chen, “and acquire knowledge and skills for them to take actions in building a just and compassionate world.”
Business 492/792: Frankfurt and Munich, Germany
The School of Business will head to Frankfurt and Munich, Germany in Summer 2020. To receive credit, undergraduate and returning adult accelerated degree students must enroll in Business 492. Graduate students must enroll in Business 792. This program is facilitated by Lecturer and Chair of Accounting Jacob Gill.
Edgewood’s study abroad website says in the course’s description, “In an age where organizations are increasingly ‘going global’ … an individual’s awareness of and exposure to international business and foreign cultures is an essential component of being competitive. This program will provide you the opportunity to experience business in the context of one of the leading European markets.”
To learn more and apply
Refer to Edgewood’s Center for Global Education Study Abroad Portal online and click on the “Faculty-Led Programs” tab on the left side of the page. Information is included for each course and scholarship information is available as well. Students can also stop by the Center for Global Education on campus, located in Predolin 341.
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