STUDY ABROAD
Istanbul 2010 I Buenos Aires 2009 I Hyderabad 2008 | Pretoria 2007 I Granada 2006
Istanbul, Turkey 2010
Plans have just begun to plan for a trip to Turkey in the summer of 2010.
Buenos Aires, Argentina 2009
In 2009, we arranged a study tour to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In this course we examined contemporary challenges posed to Argentinean education and society by recent political and economic developments associated with what has been called neoliberalism—a policy orientation that places emphasis on the universalization of the enterprise ethic across all social institutions, including education. Neoliberal policy orientation has defined the way major countries such as the United States have addressed the challenges of economic accumulation and growth, population management, and social services for society's downtrodden in recent decades. What then are the distinctive ways in which the govern ment and people of Argentin a have responded to these issues? With the help of Argentinean intellectuals and experts looked at the ways in which various social institutions have addressed contemporary challenges linked to the economy, culture, education, mass media and social movements and mobilizations. Students had the opportunity to interact directly with on-site experts based in Argentina on current developments in their country and the response of political leaders and the Argentinean people to the contemporary demands of global change.
Hyderabad, India 2008
In 2008, we arranged a study tour to Hyderabad , India . India 's spectacular rates of economic growth over the past decade or so have been based largely on its engagement with the global information economy. During this period, Hyderabad has become a center of technology services, catering largely to the needs of transnational corporations. This has transformed the social and cultural make-up of Hyderabad , providing unprecedented opportunities to some, but destroying the lives of others. During this study tour, we examined the ways in which information industries are contributing to uneven social consequences, and consider how teachers and schools are thinking about and responding to the changes taking place in Hyderabad. What this meant was that the course activities –lectures, seminars and visits – revolved around this topic, as a conceptual prism through which to learn about India and examine issues of study abroad.
Andrew Wesley's website project Comparing Hyderabad and Detroit
Pretoria, South Africa 2007
While oil is currently the most urgent topic in the news, it is highly likely that water will become the next area of major concern. Already, there are conflicts brewing over rights to water around the world, and in many places, lack of access to water has become an issue of human rights concern. It is imperative for students to understand the issues that surround this essential natural resource. In this globalized era, it is also a reality that students need to learn to understand such issues of global importance in a broader way, which can go beyond national comparisons, to an overarching view of the interconnected nature of these types of global issues. It is essential that our students be able to understand their world from a global perspective in order to better inform their decisions made nationally, and locally. This project will serve as an example of an approach to incorporating such issues into school curriculum in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive way, one that incorporates the political, economic and cultural dimensions of these phenomena, along with the basic understandings of the situation at hand.
To facilitate this process, the Global Studies in Education Program at UIUC organized an intensive curriculum development study-tour to Pretoria, South Africa for educators. Through several core faculty, UIUC has long standing ties to members of the academic community in South Africa, including the Department of Education at the University of Pretoria. South Africa is especially relevant to this project, as it has been identified by many as a microcosm of the globalization processes happening around the world because of its specific historical contexts. It has emerged as a major area of research for race relations, gender issues, and economic modernization, among others. Water has been one of the main issues that has emerged within the South African context in the last decade which bridges these debates of race, gender and class, making it an ideal location for an investigation into the complexities of the water issue as a whole and the intricacies of developing a global perspective in education.
Student papers from Pretoria Study Abroad can be found here
Granada, Spain 2006
In the Summer of 2006, GSE embarked on its first study-tour to Granada, Spain. The study tour was a central component of a course meant to examine the potentials and pitfalls of study abroad programs. We spent 10 days exploring the theme of "Crossroads of Civilizations" within the context of Granada's history, culture, social issues and educational system.
Granada has a long history of being the gateway to both Islamic and Christian civilizations, which is reflected deeply in its architecture and music, as well as in its education and bureaucratic structures. The ten educators from the US, were given the opportunity to meet with educators from Granada, who had each been asked to present on one aspect of the main theme. These educator-presenters went above and beyond in their presentations, and delivered what amounted to an excellent and in-depth tour of the various issues of the crossroads of Islam and Christianity within modern-day education in Granada.
The study tour was complemented by a variety of related cultural events as well, including a unique Flamenco performance, a tour of the Alhambra, a visit to a Mosque, and a day on the Mediteranean coast to soak up the sun! Overall, the study tour was a great success, which would not have been possible without the amazing initiative and attention to detail of our host, Luis Jose Arostegui. The combination of exposure to a variety of cultural tours and events, in-depth lectures by fellow teachers, as well as the opportunity to converse informally with a variety of educators amounted both an interesting and rounded growth opportunity for all involved.
Fit for Dream & Day Dream: Notes and Reflections on a Summer Trip to Granada, Spain
By Steven GumpGranada Reflections
By Linda Smith Tabb
Hyderabad 2008 | Pretoria 2007 | Granada 2006
