Education Abroad Announces New Destinations

SMU’s Office of Education Abroad is taking students more places in 2009.

During the summer term, new programs in China, Jamaica and Rwanda will be offered. And in the fall, the office will launch programs in Switzerland, Costa Rica, Ireland and Kenya.

Students in the Education Abroad program.

That brings the total number of programs offered by SMU to 32. In addition to the learning opportunities offered by the programs, students often share their experiences through SMU's Student Adventures blogs.

“We’re thrilled to open up new places for our students,” says Susan Kress, director of Education Abroad. “By studying in diverse cultures and languages, students will be better prepared to work and live in this interconnected world.”

Kress joined SMU’s International Center in July after serving as assistant director of the International Center at Winthrop University in South Carolina. At SMU, she has been working with faculty and the SMU Education Abroad Council to develop experiences abroad that broaden students’ global perspectives while supporting the undergraduate curriculum.

“These new programs and other recent additions offer students a wider range of opportunities – new subjects, new areas of the world and new formats,” says Daniel Orlovsky, chair of the Education Abroad Council and professor of history in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. “Our goal is that students will remember their experiences with Education Abroad as a centerpiece of their education.”

Here’s a look at the new programs in brief. Learn more at the Office of Education Abroad site.

Semester programs:

• SMU-in-Costa Rica: This interdisciplinary program offers courses in ecology, environmental economics, resource management, language and culture at the School for Field Studies’ Center for Sustainable Development. Students develop research skills during field trips to volcanoes and national parks.
   
• SMU-in-Great Britain and Ireland: Through a partnership with the Institute for Study Abroad at Butler University, SMU students of all majors will have access to universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
   
• SMU-in-Kenya: At the School for Field Studies’ Center for Wildlife Management Studies in Kenya, students will conduct research in three national parks, examining the cohabitation of humans, wildlife and natural resources.
    
• SMU-in-Lugano: Cross-cultural courses in the humanities and social studies are the focus of this program at Franklin College, an American liberal arts institution in Lugano, Switzerland. 

Summer programs:

• SMU-in-China: Business: Through a partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Cox School of Business undergraduates will focus on business management in the context of Chinese culture and values.
   
• SMU-in-China: Language: Intermediate students of Chinese participate in intensive language instruction and explore the historic city of Beijing during this eight-week program.
   
• SMU-in-Jamaica: This course in music therapy is open to Meadows School of the Arts music therapy and music education students, who will work in Jamaican care centers.
   
• SMU Human Rights Abroad: Rwanda: In partnership with SMU’s Human Rights Education Program and its director, Rick Halperin, students will tour and research sites of human rights violations in Rwanda.

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