News

New for summer and fall 2017, Syracuse University Abroad will offer a residence hall housing option for students participating in the SU Madrid program. Pending the Board of Trustee’s approval, SU Madrid will reserve a block of rooms with two occupants per room. You will be assigned to rooms based on information provided on the Housing Request form (among the post-acceptance forms in your application). If there is more demand than space, we will conduct a lottery to assign spots.

The residence hall, Colegio Mayor El Faro, is situated in the Moncloa neighborhood of downtown Madrid and is a 25-minute walk to the SU Madrid Center. The rooms are furnished, including a small kitchen with a sink, mini-fridge, and microwave. Bed linens and bath towels are provided and laundered weekly by the cleaning staff. Three meals a day in the El Faro cafeteria are included in this option.

“We are excited about this new residence opportunity, which provides game and exercise rooms as well as social and sports activities, and a chance to get to know Spanish and other European students,” said Margaret Himley, Associate Provost for International Education and Engagement.

Interested students are encouraged to submit their applications to SU Abroad for housing at Colegio Mayor El Faro as soon as possible due to the limited availability of space. Although unlikely, if this arrangement does not work out, SU Abroad will provide a homestay for all students in the program.

All students who are placed in the residence hall will need to pay a $300 deposit and sign a housing agreement form to confirm their placement in El Faro.

A group of seven SU Abroad students went to London in May 2016 as part of the first-ever WRT 301: Civic Writing in London course, taught by Jess Pauszek in the College of Arts & Sciences. During their time in the United Kingdom, the students explored the rich history of the Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers (the FWWCP), a non-profit organization established in 1976 to promote the belief that writing should be accessible to all people, especially to those in the working class.

Throughout the social turbulence of the 1980s in the UK, the FWWCP sought to promote the stories and voices of the working class, and the Federation continued its work until 2007. when it was reorganized and re-branded as the FED. The SU Abroad students on the course were able to speak to the FED’s members and to attend writing workshops that focused on the collected works of hundreds of working-class people.

This past December, the group published a book, Preserving Hidden Histories: Stories from Collaborative Writing Communities that contained a summary of their coursework and their own reflections on their time in London. Prose and poetry fill the pages, connecting students’ experiences growing up in working-class communities in the U.S. to the lessons they learned from workers throughout the UK.

The students and their professors look forward to publishing another volume of their reflections soon.

Anjelica Elsroth, a junior in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, has been awarded a GoEuro European Study Abroad Scholarship. She is the first SU Abroad student to win a scholarship from GoEuro.

GoEuro European Scholarships offers three individual awards for study in an EU and/or Schengen country. All students enrolled in a Syracuse University Center program in Europe are eligible to apply. The application deadline is in January for study abroad during the following academic year, and awards range from 500 to 2,000 Euros.

“We are delighted to help one of your students with their dreams of studying abroad and hope they are able to experience the best that Europe has to offer,” Katherine Shanahan, Senior Marketing Manager at GoEuro.

Elsroth joins the dozens of SU Abroad students who have been awarded external scholarships to study abroad. SU Abroad maintains a lengthy list of outside scholarships available to students interested in offsetting the costs of a semester abroad through scholarships and grants.

Communications Design professor William Padgett sends in this round-up of an intense field study weekend in Milan with the Florence Design students:

“In its inaugural semester, the Syracuse University Florence Design Program students visited the Milan design office of Continuum and the Jozeph Forakis Design studio. Armed with 48-hour transit passes, 16 students and three professors traversed Milan, visiting many design venues. At the Triennial Museum, SUF Design professor Federico Carandini delivered an insightful and inspiring guided tour of an Italian classic furniture design exhibit followed by professor Ingrid Lamminpää leading the students through a dazzling exhibition of Italian women designers.

Fall 2016 abroad students are returning home, back to campus, with time to reflect on their semesters away. Sarah, a sophomore engineering and computer science student, went to University College Dublin (UCD), and shared her experience with us:

“My semester abroad in Ireland has been an experience unlike any other. The students and faculty at UCD were very welcoming and supportive upon my arrival and throughout the semester. I enjoyed learning from knowledgeable professors and alongside talented students. I appreciated the hands-on approach that all of my modules employed. In construction materials, I built a Christmas decoration out of concrete, timber, and an electronic starter kit. In fluid mechanics, we worked with a pump and a turbine, and in physiology, we analyzed images of nerves and tissues. These activities allowed me to apply knowledge learned in lecture. I also took the module Discovering Ireland: Landscape through which I attended field trips to Meath, Westmeath, Carlow, and Kildare; we visited fascinating tombs, impressive monasteries, and intricate castles to learn about Irish history and culture.

The UCD campus is beautiful and features ponds and footpaths through the trees. There are countless clubs and societies, so I enthusiastically joined Snow Sports, Ultimate Frisbee, Engineering Society, International Student Society, and Erasmus Student Network. International Student Society and Erasmus Student Network (ESN) exposed me to a wide variety of adventurous international students. I joined ESN’s trips to Kerry and Northern Ireland and met students from twelve other countries.

All in all, I fell in love with UCD, Dublin, and all of Ireland. I have a new appreciation for Irish landscape, culture, and history, and I am so grateful for this unforgettable semester. I highly recommend a semester abroad in Ireland to anyone seeking adventure, friends from around the world, and newfound independence.”

Congratulations to all TEN SU Abroad students who received Gilman Scholarships for their abroad programs next spring! The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. We encourage all SU Abroad students who meet the qualifications to apply for awards that can reach up to $8,000!

The next deadline (for summer/fall 2017 programs) is March 7, 2017.

Our spring 2017 winners are:

Ashia Aubourg, SU Florence
Shafin Zamen, SU Hong Kong
Kaitlynn Chopra, AMIDEAST Morocco
Estephany Hinojosa, SIT South Africa
Jomarie Mosquea, SU London
Michelle Kincaid, SU Santiago
Sarah Hewitt, SU Santiago
Jamila Perkins, UNSW (Australia)
Deema Alsalih, UPCES (Czech Republic)
William De la Vera, SU Santiago

One student was also named as an alternate:

Brianna Torres, SU Madrid

By Emily Alek

Through extensive travel and immersion in new cultures, studying abroad allows students to grow and become citizens of the world. Students of the SU Strasbourg program take full advantage of this opportunity for growth as they delve deeper into European affairs through internships and event attendance at the Council of Europe.

Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the Council of Europe is an international organization dedicated to upholding democracy, human rights, and the European rule of law. SU Strasbourg students have the chance to interview for a variety of internships at the Council in the fields of international relations, policy development, communications, and more.

Senior Shoshana Kranish is just one of several SU Strasbourg students interning at the Council of Europe this semester. At her internship, she assists the staff of the Pompidou Group in planning their upcoming symposium on New Psychoactive Substances. In this position, Kranish provides research on prevention mechanisms and policies, helps to manage and compile participant information, and she is creating a video on New Psychoactive Substances. Her involvement extends beyond the walls of the Council of Europe: “I have been invited to, and will attend, the Pompidou Group’s symposium next month in Venice, Italy, where I will get to meet with top policy makers and lawyers from more than a dozen different countries,” noted Kranish.

Thomas Poston is a junior at Wake Forest University, but is spending the semester at SU Strasbourg. He, too, is interning at the Council of Europe, but in a different division. “As the Trainee in the Media and Internet Division of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, my work at the Council of Europe entails the promotion and preservation of the freedom of expression in all 47 of the organization’s member states,” said Poston. “My division’s thematic focus encompasses all types of expression, but particular emphasis is placed on (a) the rights and freedoms of journalists and the press, and (b) privacy, social media safety, and Internet governance.” Throughout his internship, Poston has assumed many responsibilities, such as attending committee meetings and parliamentary debates, creating “elevator briefings” of each event for his colleagues from all over the continent, and researching the current state of press and internet freedom in member states that are not also members of the European Union. These tasks will ultimately become part of the Secretary General’s Annual Report, in which assessments are made of the member states’ varying levels of freedom.

Along with receiving career-bolstering internship opportunities, SU Strasbourg students also benefit from attending special events at the Council of Europe. SU Communications Professor Giuseppe Zaffuto works in the Council’s Communications Department, and his students have had the opportunity to attend a number of these events and report on them via social media. In October, students heard speeches by the French President, François Hollande, and the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlut Cavusoglu. These opportunities have allowed them to learn more about the various issues that the Council’s member states are facing, including the crisis in Syria, the migration crisis, and the recent coup attempt in Turkey. Students also attended a debate about conducting fair elections in the Council of Europe’s member states and witnessed a Council-wide vote on implementing new policies.

Thanks to these opportunities at the Council of Europe, SU Strasbourg students are able to fully immerse themselves in European political culture and get a clearer sense of the complex workings of an institution that includes more than 40 member states, and in which the United States has observer’s status.

November 14-18, 2016 marks the 18th anniversary of International Education Week (IEW), an annual celebration of international education and exchange worldwide. Institutions across the United States and around the world, including SU Abroad, are hosting events throughout the week to recognize education abroad and internationalization.

While nationally, only 10% of U.S. undergraduate students study abroad, nearly 50% of Syracuse University students have at least one study abroad experience before they graduate. In recognition of the robust culture of international education at Syracuse University, SU Abroad will host two events this week to mark International Education Week 2016.

On Monday, November 14, SU Abroad and Career Services will host “Marketing Your Study Abroad Experience,” a workshop focused on strategically marketing a study abroad experience when pursuing career opportunities. Attendees will learn how to present their study abroad experience on their resumes, to identify skills and competencies developed through study abroad, and to articulate your abroad experience during job interviews. The workshop will be held from 5-6 p.m. in Maxwell Hall, Room 111.

Tuesday, November 15, SU Abroad presents “Live a Story Worth Telling” with Professor Bruce Strong from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III. As both a staff and freelance photojournalist, Professor Strong has shot in nearly 60 countries while working on assignments and personal projects. SU Abroad invites all SU staff, faculty, and students interested in international travel to attend as Professor Strong will discuss his work, what it means to travel and to immerse oneself into different cultures, and to tell your story through photographs.

Additionally, SU Abroad will host general advising hours in its office all week for students who want to drop in and meet with a study abroad advisor. All interested students are invited to stop into 106 Walnut Place between 8:30 – 5 to discuss their study abroad options.

SU Abroad is happy to report that it is extending its deadline for the Spring 2017 semester in Beijing, China. All students will receive a $2500 grant for enrolling in the program!

No matter what career you choose to pursue, China will be a part of it. By having an understanding of China, you set yourself apart as someone who recognizes the myriad possibilities and exciting challenges of the future.

Are you an economics or business major? China is the fastest-growing economy on the planet.

Concerned about the environment? Learn how China’s government is coping with a potential ecological crisis as the country’s demands consume more and more of their natural resources.

Are you intrigued by international relations? US-China relations are widely considered to be the most important bilateral relationship in the world today because of its global impact.

Are you interested in complex social issues? Learn about the challenges brought about by China’s transformation into a superpower on a speed and scale unprecedented in history.

Love languages? Obtain proficiency (or fluency) in an intriguing language spoken by 1.3 billion people.

Interested in history? Study in a country of rich cultural tradition with more than 5,000 years of recorded history.

All courses are taught in English. There is no language prerequisite.

Questions? Contact Mary Fedorko at mmfedork@syr.edu or call (315) 443-3471.

If you’re still interested in studying abroad next semester, SU Abroad has space remaining in some programs! To begin your application, start on our ‘Apply’ page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. The following programs still have space remaining for Spring 2017:

Beijing Center

Florence Center (including intensive language, engineering, design, and studio arts programs)

London Center (including design program)

Madrid Center (including business, science & math, and UAM programs)

Santiago Center (including Cuenca immersion program)

Strasbourg Center (including intensive language, social work, and music programs)