New Programs

In addition to veteran faculty, several will offer new programs. For example, Saleem Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment, will travel with students on a program to Brisbane, Australia, where they will take courses at the University of Queensland and see mine restoration in action.

“We will do fieldwork at a site off the coast of Brisbane called North Stradbroke Island,” Ali said. “North Stradbroke Island is the world’s second largest land island and has been mined for titanium sands for many years. Now that mining is coming to an end, the land has to be restored. As part of the course, the students will interact with various stakeholders, including indigenous community members, government officials and the mining company itself.”

Also in Australia, faculty member Nat Measley will give students an inside look into Sydney’s startup world. As a part of the program, participants will network with entrepreneurs, explore incubator hubs and will take advantage of opportunities to explore Australian culture outside the city. “What I hope to offer students from all backgrounds are legitimate connections to potential channel partners, business partners, customers and key resources that they can utilize in the future,” he said.

Measley, no stranger to study abroad, participated in two programs as a UD student. “My goal in leading this program is replicate the experience I had. I’ve consulted with and worked with other universities, and I’ve yet to find a study abroad program that rivals what Delaware has.”

For students interested in language and the mind, Tamara Medina will lead a program to Japan. “We’re planning to visit Tokyo and Kyoto and will be immersed in the language and culture,” said Medina, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences. “In class, we’ll analyze these experiences to unpack the ways in which cultures may share ideas, goals and values, but yet express them in different ways through language." Participants will take a closer look at the Japanese writing system by taking a calligraphy class and visit a macaque monkey park to compare human language to animal communication, among many other activities.

Drew Brown will travel with students to Jamaica, a country that he says is small in geographical space, but large in global influence. As a part of the Africana Studies program, participants will study the history, culture and politics of the Caribbean through a series of lectures, guest speakers, service learning and more than ten excursions. They will attend reggae and ska concerts, art museums, a cricket match and will travel to the Blue Mountains to make coffee from freshly harvested beans.

Brown, an associate professor of Africana Studies, is particularly well-positioned to lead this program. “Jamaica is a place that I hold dear personally as someone of Caribbean descent. My father lives in Jamaica and my brothers grew up in Kingston,” he said. “My academic work focuses on race, sports and culture and with all of the athletes that come out of the country, a lot of the work that I do can be traced back to having some kind of origins in Jamaica.”

Brown added that this three-week, single-course program is an ideal option for those planning to study abroad on a small budget. “With costs being one of the largest barriers for study abroad,” Brown said, “we’ve intentionally kept program and travel fees at a minimum and have included meals for most of the program.”

Explore more and apply by April 20

Study Abroad is a hallmark of a University of Delaware education, and more than one third of all undergraduate students will participate in at least one program before graduation.

UD students are encouraged to explore all programs online, read the UD Abroad blog and visit IGS for open advising hours, held every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters from 1-3 p.m. in the Clayton Hall Conference Center. Follow along @UDGlobal on Instagram and Twitter and engage using the hashtag #UDAbroad.

Parents and families are also invited to visit the IGS website for resources on finances, health issues, safety, diversity and more.

Applications for most Winter Session 2020 programs close on Saturday, April 20 at 5 p.m.

About the Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies (IGS) 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 sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and the Fulbright Lecture Series 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.