Vivek Muchnikoff, senior, talks with Dr. Patricia Alvey about study abroad in India. (Sarah Acosta)
SMU’s many study abroad programs offers students several unique opportunities to travel the globe and increase their cultural awareness while enriching their education through international experience. SMU boasts more than 25 study abroad programs in 13 different countries. Summer 2006 and the 2006-2007 school year saw more than 435 students to travel the world and enhance their cultural knowledge.
Yesterday, the Study Abroad Spring Fair took place in the Hughes-Trigg Commons. Many of the summer study abroad program directors were available to answer student questions and supply information about their individual programs. Students were encouraged to gather brochures detailing the programs in countries that interested them while gaining knowledge from the program directors about the excitement of studying in another country.
SMU senior Audrey Duffel attended the fair as a South of France informant. Duffel participated in the South of France program last summer and encouraged students to consider the program for an equally amazing experience.
“The South of France program is absolutely wonderful. It is a chance to learn French while gaining a great cultural experience and traveling all over the French countryside,” Duffel said.
The summer programs offered by SMU include the opportunity to study in Oxford, Moscow, Duisburg, Suzhou, Beijing, Germany, Paris, South of France, Xalapa, London, Italy, and the newest addition to the SMU study abroad options, India.
The brand-new India program was created by the Temerlin Advertising Institute in partnership with the Mudra Institute for Communications in Ahmedabad, India (MICA). The program will accept 15-20 students, and is open to SMU students from all disciplines. The five-week program will consist of three weeks of classes on the MICA campus and will follow with two weeks of traveling throughout India experiencing its cultural history through study tours of historical and religious monuments.
“This is SMU’s first program in India. It is a wonderful opportunity to study markets and culture in such a wonderful and exotic place,” said India program director Dr. Patricia Alvey.
Another exciting three-and-a-half-week program offers students the opportunity to study in Suzhou, China. The program, hosted at Suzhou University in the ancient city offers an interdisciplinary curriculum. Studying in Suzhou allows students to immerse themselves in the people, culture and history of China. Students will study in a classroom for two weeks with many after-class field trips.
They will then participate in nine days of extensive travel around the country to see first-hand what they studied during the first weeks inside the classroom.
Junior Natasha Mehra lingered in front of the Suzhou information booth.
“I feel as if studying in China would be such a culturally eye-opening experience. I plan on traveling all over the world and have never really thought about China as an option until today. I am very interested in the program,” she said.
For more information concerning any of the SMU study abroad programs please call (214) 768-2338, or visit the The Study Abroad Office in room 216 of the Laura Lee Blanton building.
