'Study Abroad Fair' features ASU faculty-led summer programs
Whether you’re a student – or a businessperson, entrepreneur, retiree or other knowledge-seeker – Arizona State University offers an opportunity to learn firsthand about language, culture, even social and economic issues, in locations worldwide via 15 study abroad programs led by ASU faculty in its School of International Letters and Cultures this summer. To find out more, the public is invited to a Study Abroad Fair hosted by the school from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 5, on the Tempe campus.
“What better way to experience the complete and authentic character of another country than by going there with a faculty expert?” asked Joe Cutter, director of the school. “For students, it not only enhances academic learning but broadens their worldview in ways that last a lifetime. For those doing business globally, it equips them with a keener understanding of cultural influences behind the relationship or transaction.”
The school’s study abroad programs are among the longest running and most prestigious at ASU, Cutter explained. Founded in 1981, all 15 of the programs are directed by knowledgeable, world-class faculty. The programs also are open to non-ASU students admitted to ASU for the summer term as non-degree seeking students at the Tempe campus.
“What separates our study abroad programs is that full-time professors, many of them natives of countries they visit, lead the programs and offer participants in-depth experiences that are off the beaten path,” Cutter said. “The cultural immersion that students receive is broad-based and genuine and hard to duplicate elsewhere.”
This school’s 15 faculty-led study abroad programs in summer 2013 include the following:
• Spanish Language and Mayan Culture in Yucatán – 5-week, May 18-June 21
• The Urban Imagination in 19th-Century Paris – 4-week, May 14-June 11
• Culture and Text in Contemporary León, Spain – 4-week, June 24-July 20
• Italian Language and Culture in Castelraimondo – 4-week, June 2-29
• French Language and Québécois Culture in Québec, Canada – 4- or 8-week program, May 13-June 14 (Session 1) and July 8-August 9 (Session 2), attend either session or both
• Sichuan University Summer Chinese Language Program – 8-week, June 19-August 14
• Florence, Italy Summer Program – 4-week, May 24-June 22
• German Language and Culture in Regensburg – 5-week, May 26-June 29
• Japanese Language in Hiroshima – 5-week, May 23-June 29
• Romania and Central Europe – 4-week, July 3-August 3
• Spanish Language, Literature and Culture in Seville, Spain – 5-week, May 18-June 24
• Arabic/Islamic Culture and Literature in Kuwait – 2-week, June 14-28
• Summer Program in Brazil – 3-week, May 27-June 23
• French Language and Culture in Lyon – 4-week, June 24-July 21
• Summer Classics in Naples, Italy – 4-week, May 20-June 17
While most School of International Letters and Cultures programs include classes in the local language, approximately half of them also offer instruction in English. Participants either live with host families, or in apartments or dormitories, depending on the program. Most programs also include field trips to nearby cultural and historical attractions and other points of interest. For details, visit silc.asu.edu/studyabroad.
At the fair on Feb. 5, prospective study abroad participants can learn about faculty-directed programs, as well as school-endorsed partnership and exchange opportunities. They also can meet program directors, former student participants, study abroad staff, and representatives from the Alicante Spanish Language exchange program, the ASU National Scholarship Advisement Office and the Council on International Educational Exchange.
Location of the Study Abroad Fair is the Carson Ballroom in Old Main on ASU’s Tempe campus. A map of campus is available to view here: asu.edu/map.
Non-ASU students are welcome to participate but must be admitted to ASU for the summer 2013 term only as non-degree seeking students at the Tempe campus before they apply to the study abroad program. (Students will need the ASUrite ID you receive once you are admitted in order to apply to the summer program.) Non-ASU students can apply to ASU online through the following admissions portals: Undergraduate Admissions or Graduate Admissions. Apply to the Tempe campus (and not the online program). If asked to designate a college and/or academic unit, they should select the "College of Liberal Arts and Sciences" and the "School of International Letters and Cultures." If non-degree seeking students have any questions about applying, they should contact the international coordinator who works with this program.
ASU offers more than 300 study abroad programs in over 60 countries around the world offering students the opportunity to join others in studying the world’s languages and cultures while earning ASU course credit. For more information, visit studyabroad.asu.edu.