In April, the University of Delaware’s Institute for Global Studies will celebrate the 95th anniversary of the first study abroad program by a U.S. institution with a month-long celebration of France, UD’s first study abroad destination. In collaboration with the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (DLLC), IGS will pay hommage to the culture, cuisine and contributions of France.

“But First, France,” will officially kick off on Wednesday, April 4, with an information session for students interested in UD’s Paris Exchange Program. Information sessions for additional study abroad programs in France, in disciplines including fashion and art, will continue throughout the month.

On Thursday, April 5, UD alumna Shane Sanders will present the first lecture of this year’s Fulbright Lecture Series, highlighting the modern legacy of Senegalese author and feminist, Mariama Ba. Sanders, who received a 2017 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Senegal, is one of three female Fulbright recipients participating in this year’s series, entitled “Fostering Mutual Understanding: Making Women’s Voices Heard.”

For the University’s polyglots, DLLC will offer numerous opportunities, beginning with “Career Opportunities for Language Majors” on April 10 and a Language Resource Center Open House on April 20.

On Wednesday, April 18, the French Club will co-present an exclusive showing of the film Réparer les vivants, with a pre-film introduction and a postfilm discussion led by French exchange student Aurelian Cavelier.

IGS will offer two Fulbright information sessions on Wednesday, April 11, and Tuesday, April 17. The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, awards grants to conduct research, teach English or pursue a one-year master’s degree in one of more than 150 countries.

For students, faculty and staff who wish to experience “April in Paris,” Dining Services will transform on Thursday, April 19, offering traditional dishes like beef burgundy and ratatouille from the comfort of dining halls across campus.

The Office for International Students and Scholars’ April 20 International Coffee Hour will feature UDairy’s 1923 ice cream and French music by WVUD’s Maria Chudzik. This weekly event, aimed at creating connections between UD’s international and domestic communities, is open to all.

On Sunday, April 22, the English department will show Elle as a part of its semester-long International Film Series.

Healthy Hens will offer a treat for your taste buds on Wednesday, April 25. Guests who attend a cooking demo will learn to make -- and take away -- a healthier French quiche.

The month will come to a close on Thursday, April 26, with the history department’s annual Harrington History Lecture, featuring Natalie Zemon Davis. Davis is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University. She is a renowned scholar of the early modern world and the place of the unremarkable in it. Her lecture, “Languages of the People: A Romanian-Jewish Philologist on Yiddish, Romanian and French,” will trace pioneering philologist and folklorist Lazӑr Șӑineanu and his work through the conflicts of his time.

Honoring 95 Years

“But First, France” celebrations will kick off the University’s 95th anniversary of UD study abroad.

In 1923, English professor Raymond Kirkbride became the first in the nation to offer a travel study program, taking eight students to the University of Nancy for a year of foreign language study.

“We are thrilled at IGS to be celebrating the 95th anniversary of study abroad and UD’s place in the nation’s history of international education,” said IGS Director Trevor Nelson. “This year, we hope not only to honor this legacy, but how far we have come, and our ability to expand these opportunities in new and innovative ways.”

UD annually offers 100-plus study abroad programs in 40 countries and across every discipline. To learn more about UD study abroad, visit the Institute for Global Studies website and follow along @UDGlobal on Instagram and Twitter.  

About the Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.

Best known for coordinating the University’s study abroad program, IGS also awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities and administers internationally recognized State Department-sponsored programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Institute, Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders and most recently the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership (SUSI-WL) program.

IGS is the home of the UD Alternative Breaks Program and sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and country-specific celebrations each spring.

IGS collaborates with other global partners on campus, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.