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UD's study-abroad program ranks sixth in the nation among research institutions

2:15 p.m., Oct. 8, 2003--University of Delaware senior Shelley Dowd learned a few lessons she hadn’t quite bargained for during the winter of 2002. Then a sophomore, the English education major took advantage of UD’s Center for International Studies (CFIS) program and spent five and a half weeks in London completing coursework at UD’s satellite learning center in Russell Square and taking in the sights, history and culture of the Brits.

Stonehenge, England

Looking back, she ranks it as one of her more rewarding college experiences and recommends the opportunity to others. But, like all adventures in strange lands, Dowd’s time abroad was not without its share of culture shock.

“Living and studying abroad in any foreign city gives you a big sense of independence and a good feeling to know that you can live and survive in a different culture,” Dowd said. “But, there is definitely some negativity about America overseas. I took some time in Hyde Park to visit Speakers’ Corner—a place where people literally stand on stools and share their views—and it was an eye-opening experience. It was the winter after 9/11 and people had a lot to say about the U.S.”

As abrasive as some of the opinions may have been, providing students with a realistic view of the world—and America’s place in it—is a primary goal of the CFIS program. Launched in July 1923 with a maiden voyage that sent eight students to France via ocean liner for the duration of their junior year, the program’s long-standing mission has been to foster international perspective and tolerance and instill in students a sense of respect for global interdependence. The original mission held steady and, according to Lesa Griffiths, current director of the CFIS, has only strengthened in recent years. Today UD is ranked sixth in the nation among study-abroad programs at research institutions, and one in four UD students takes advantage of a study-abroad experience during college.

Now serving more than 1,000 students in 70 different majors, the CFIS offers programs in 30 countries and supports 65 programs annually. In January 2003, with the launch of a first-time excursion to Antarctica, the program spanned all seven continents.

Giza Pyramid, Mexico

“My vision for the Center for International Studies is that [it] should represent the academic infrastructure through which the process of internationalization becomes ingrained in the culture of the University,” Griffiths said. “CFIS should become the true ‘center’ for international education and research activity on campus.”

To promote this philosophy in an accessible and appealing way, CFIS recently sponsored an amateur photography contest in which study-abroad students were asked to submit snapshots from their experiences abroad. Monetary prizes were awarded to the top three contestants ($100 for overall winner, $75 and $50 for runners-up), and photographs were submitted to air on TV2, the 24-hour campus community electronic bulletin board, throughout the 2003-04 academic year.

“The opportunity to live abroad provides an amazing experience that gives you a bigger view of the world,” Dowd said, succinctly summing up what many of the photographs themselves make clear. “I’d recommend it for any student.”

For more information on CFIS and study-abroad opportunities, visit [www.udel.edu/international]. To view photographs taken by UD students during their semester abroad, turn to TV2 or visit [www.udel/edu/UMS/channel2/].

Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photos by UD study-abroad students, spring 2002

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