Exploring Central Europe: History, Memory, and Identity Across Borders
You’ll be a part of a learning community that is based in the heart of Central Europe and that travels to Prague, Berlin, Krakow, Warsaw, Treblinka/Sejny, and Gdansk. You’ll investigate sites tied to WWII, the Holocaust, and Soviet totalitarian rule. Explore the big questions of the 21st century—how people from different national and ethnic identities, with different languages, cultures, and traditions, are able to live together after wars and other kinds of violence and trauma. Learn about the complexity of issues related to history and social justice in comparative ways. All courses are taught in English.
During the semester:
- You’ll join a close cohort of students
- You’ll learn from dynamic faculty through a culturally connected curriculum
- You’ll design your own individual research project and document your travels on UrbanLabs
- You’ll have the opportunity to pursue exciting internship opportunities working in the areas of civic engagement, human rights, culture, politics, and the environment.
This program is the The Forum’s 2016 recipient for the Excellence in Education Abroad Curriculum Design award!
Exploring Central Europe program – apply now for fall 2025
Participants will automatically receive a $2,000 location grant applied to program costs!
NOTE: The Syracuse Central Europe program has a “rolling admissions” policy, which means applications are reviewed as they are completed, prior to the deadline. To ensure full consideration, students are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible due to limited space. Date of application does not guarantee acceptance.
Featured Program: Exploring Central Europe
(Fall only) Through comparative study in four countries and seven urban centers, you will explore some of the most rapidly changing regions in Europe. Your home base will be Wroclaw, designated in 2016 as the European Capital of Culture. In Berlin, you’ll study Germany’s attempts to forge a new path of leadership while confronting its Nazi and politically divided past. In the beautiful port city of Gdansk, you will explore the city’s shipyards, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, and take day trip to Malbork, one of the largest castles in the world and one of 16 sites in Poland inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Stays in the captivating cities of Prague and Krakow will offer very different perspectives on the continent’s imperial past and the legacy of shifting borders. Deadline: March 15; GPA – 2.5
Program Highlights
- Academic Information
- Living in Central Europe
- Internships
- Urban Labs Central Europe
- Signature Seminar
- Cost and Aid
- Program Dates
Talk to recent Central Europe students!
The best way to understand what to expect in Central Europe is to talk to someone who has already participated in the program. Our Central Europe global ambassadors formed close friendships, traveled all over Europe, and used their classes in Wroclaw to launch their careers – ask them about Exploring Central Europe!
“What exceeded my initial expectations was our two-week signature seminar and weekend trips, which took us to each region and major city of the country. Our journey took us to the cities of Gdańsk, Lublin, Kraków, Warsaw and Berlin (a visit beyond Poland), in addition to excursions to smaller towns in Poland’s countryside, where we were hosted by foundations engaged in peacebuilding and reconciliation. These trips bonded our cohort as we collectively navigated rich new spaces while also reckoning with atrocities committed in the same places.”
-Sophie Creager-Roberts ’24
Exploring Central Europe, Fall 2021
Read more: My Central Europe Study Abroad Experience
Central Europe Viewbook
An overview of the Central Europe program is available in our viewbook. Request a copy of your own by filling out this form to have one mailed to you! Find the most up-to-date information on course offerings here.