January Term Traveling Seminars

January Term Traveling Seminars

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Seminar Descriptions

The American Diplomacy Seminar provides a university-level competency for students interested in learning about modern American diplomacy and the people who make it happen. Students will go behind the scenes at U.S. embassies in Europe and North Africa to meet U.S. diplomats at the forefront of American engagement. Cultural visits, Embassy briefings, and academic lectures by IAU scholars and resident experts will place U.S. policies in their historic and geographic context, provide real-world examples of how American diplomats work, and explore the economic, security, and environmental issues they face.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Political Science 545: American Diplomacy in Action – U.S. Engagement in the 21^st Century
• International Relations 545: American Diplomacy in Action – U.S. Engagement in the 21^st Century

• Cultural Studies 545: American Diplomacy in Action – U.S. Engagement in the 21^st Century

Sites visited include:

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Paris, Marseille
• Belgium: Brussels
• Tunisia: Tunis

The Europe and the Islamic World Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in France, Morocco, and Spain. Students participate in a series of briefings from leading academic, literary, and political experts on the European relationship with the Islamic world. In each city, students attend daily lectures and meetings with distinguished scholars from IAU in addition to local guides and experts in the fields of politics, art history, history, and culture. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of immigration to Europe and its current socio-cultural implications on the region.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Art History 595: Classical Islam and the European Renaissance
• Cross Cultural Studies 595: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World
• French 595: Cultural History of France and the Islamic World
• History 595: Cultural History of Europe and the Islamic World
• Political Science 595: European Politics and the Islamic World
• Religious Studies 595: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World
• Spanish 595: Cultural History of Spain and the Islamic World

Sites visited include:

• France: Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille
• Morocco: Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier
• Spain: Seville, Granada, and Cordoba
• United Kingdom: Gibraltar

FRENCH LANGUAGE & CULTURE
France
December 27, 2019 - January 18, 2020

IAU's French Language and Culture January Term Program is designed for students interested in a language and cultural immersion experience in the Mediterranean region of Southern France. IAU's exceptional out-of-classroom experiences include homestays, regional field studies, and extracurricular activities such as wine tastings and cooking courses. Students receive intensive language instruction and have an immersive experience in the local culture during this three-week program.

The many libraries, museums, churches, bookstores, markets, and cafès have earned Aix its reputation as one of France's most engaging cities. A wealth of cinemas, restaurants, discothëques, and sports facilities welcomes Aix's students. With its charm and Mediterranean climate, Aix-en-Provence is one of the most popular and sought-after cities in France.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• French 101: Beginner French I
• French 102: Beginner French II

Site Visited: Aix-en-Provence

GREAT CITIES
France • England • The Czech Republic • Italy
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020 

IAU’s January Term Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in France, England, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Students explore major cities across Europe using literature and the arts as a guide to understanding the rise and establishment of the urban setting. Through readings and media studies, students examine the artistic process from inspiration to creation. Site visits and guided tours then allow students to experience the historical, geographical, and demographical foundations that inform the fictional representations of European cities and their impact on perceptions of those cities today. Students have the opportunity to learn from and exchange their observations with experts from IAU as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides in order to frame their own perception of the cities and these cities’ representation through the arts. 

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• European Studies 503: Europe and the Urban Space
• Anthropology 501: The Artist and the City
• Literature 575: The European City in Literature
• Communications 575: The European City in the Visual Arts
• Geography 501: Europe and its Cities

Sites visited include:

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Paris
• England: London
• Czech Republic: Prague
• Italy: Rome

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
France • Morocco • Belgium
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The International Business Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in France, Morocco, and Belgium. Students gain exposure to the diverse facets of international business while visiting countries at different stages of economic development. While in Europe and North Africa, students visit major multi-national organizations and locally-run businesses as well as meet with public officials responsible for economic policy in order to build a well-rounded understanding of the global market. Students have the opportunity to learn from and exchange their observations with experts from IAU as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides. 

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Management 525: International Management
• Business 525: International Business
• Marketing 525: International Marketing
• Economics 525: Doing Business in Europe
• Business 504: Business Ethics in a Global Market

Past seminars have visited the following sites:

• France: Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille
• Morocco: Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier
• Belgium: Brussels

MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
France • Italy • Greece
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

IAU’s Mediterranean Basin January Term Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in France, Italy, and Greece. Students build visual literacy in the history of art and archaeology as well as examine philosophical literature of the Mediterranean Basin from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The seminar cultivates students' abilities to synthesize cultural, historical, political, and social information as it relates to the visual arts. The experiential learning component consists of a series of site visits made by academic experts from IAU in addition to local guides and faculty in the field of history, art history, and archaeology.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Archaeology 585: Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Art History 585: Ancient and Medieval Classical Art and Architecture
• Cross Cultural Studies 585: Cultural Identities in Mediterranean Europe
• History 585: Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean Cultural History
• Religious Studies 585: From Polytheism to Monotheism, The Early Christian Period in Italy, Greece & France

Sites visited include:

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Pont du Gard, and Nimes
• Italy: Rome, Pompei, Paestum, and Florence
• Greece: Athens, Cape Sounion, Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Delphi

MEDITERRANEAN ECOLOGY
Spain • France
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The Mediterranean Basin is the largest example of the Mediterranean biome, which is also found in parts of California, Chili, the Cape Region in South Africa, and southwest Australia.  Although rich in history, the Mediterranean Basin is relatively small, covering only 1.5% of global land area, but it hosts almost 25 thousand plant species, about 15% of all known plant species on earth, of which over 50% are endemic. Little wonder then that this fascinating biodiversity hotspot attracts the attention of scientists and policy-makers alike, and its conservation is a top priority.    

Throughout this course, students will examine the extent, the origins, and the drivers of today’s Mediterranean biodiversity and review some of the most recent studies about its current situation.  Students will thoroughly study how the eco-geographical and environmental conditions of the region contribute to the geopolitical realities of today.  Students will also identify the most prominent threats to the future of Mediterranean biodiversity including human-derived consequences of warfare, urbanization, deforestation, desertification, and intensive agriculture in addition to the projected consequences of the slow onset of global climate change.  

This course involves in-class lectures, field trips, and meetings with political actors from local and international organizations. The course is tailored to general science students, which assumes a minimum knowledge of fundamental concepts in ecology, environmental science, earth science, biology, or any other equivalent natural science. 

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Biology 565: Biodiversity and Conservation Politics in the Mediterranean Basin
• Ecology 565: Biodiversity and Conservation Politics in the Mediterranean Basin
• Environmental Science 565: Biodiversity and Conservation Politics in the Mediterranean Basin

Sites visited include:

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Frioul Islands
• Spain: Barcelona

NORTH AFRICAN STUDIES
Morocco • Tunisia
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The North African Studies Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in learning about the major issues multi-ethnic, predominantly Islamic, and developing countries contend with. The Seminar will expose students to diverse and sometimes opposed views to these major issues. During the three-week seminar students will visit six cities and will attend daily lectures and meetings with distinguished scholars and practitioners in regards to culture, human rights, politics, and economic development. 

There is a strong social service component to this seminar, as students will visit NGO's and meet with creative ordinary citizens who are striving to invent solutions to their most vexing problems such as fighting poverty and providing education to their children. 

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Religion 545: Religious Radicalism: North Africa as a Case Study
• Religion 555: Judaism in Islamic Land
• Religion 565: Understanding Islam
• History 555: Islam and the West: A Historical Perspective
• History 565: History and Politics of North Africa
• Political Science 565: History and Politics of North Africa
• Sociology 565: Human Rights in North Africa

Sites visited include:

• Morocco: Marrakesh, Rabat, Fez, Casablanca
• Tunisia: Tunis, Kairouan, Sousse

PSYCHOLOGY OF PEACE & CONFLICT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Morocco • Spain • France • Gibraltar
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The Psychology of Peace and Conflict in the Mediterranean Seminar focuses on understanding violence and its impact on the Mediterranean region. Students are encouraged to imagine possible resolutions to conflict and to understand peace processes through the lens of interdisciplinary study. They learn to see communities that have previously remained erased or oppressed in Morocco, France, and Spain and to understand the political, psychological, and sociological side effects of violence. By the end of the seminar, participants will more deeply understand the psychology of political decision-making as it applies to international relations and the legacy that is determined by peace efforts across cultures and their borders. 

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Psychology 570: Multicultural Psychology
• Psychology 585: Psychology of Peace and Violence
• Psychology 590: Psychology of Divided Societies
• Psychology 595: Special Topics in Psychology - Graduate Seminar
• Sociology 590: Sociology of Divided Societies
• Cross-Cultural Studies 590: Empires, Colonies, Hegemony

SPANISH CULTURE & SOCIETY
Spain
January 3-18, 2020

The Spanish Culture and Society January Term Seminar in Seville, Granada and Córdoba is hosted by the International College of Seville (ICS) and is designed for students wishing to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Spain. Over two weeks, students will live with local Spanish hosts in Seville, participate in field studies throughout southern Spain, enroll in courses focused on Spanish culture and society, and participate in cultural activities such as flamenco shows, cooking classes, city walking tours, boat cruises, tapas tastings, and even a special New Years Eve dinner. Faculty members, as well as local guides and specialists, will deepen students' understanding of the people, customs, and culture of Spain in a hands-on, experiential learning environment. 

Students can choose one of the following three-credit courses:

• Art History 538: Spanish Culture and Society
• Cross Cultural Studies 538: Spanish Culture and Society
• History 538: Spanish Culture and Society

Sites visited include:

• Seville
• Granada
• Córdoba
  

SPORTS & SOCIETY IN EUROPE
England • Spain
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

IAU’s Sports & Society in Europe January Term Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in England and Spain. Students will explore key concepts and aspects of the competitive international sports industry, the development of professional sports into a global business, and the strategies and business science behind sports management in an increasingly globalized economy. The experiential learning component of this course consists of site visits to local and multi-national organizations and academic lectures and briefings by IAU experts, on-site scholars, and industry professionals.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Business 565: Sports & Society in Europe
• Cross Cultural Studies 565: Sports & Society in Europe
• Sociology 565: Sports & Society in Europe

Sites visited include:

• England: London
  
• Spain: Barcelona

THEATRE ALIVE: THEATRE IN IRELAND, SCOTLAND & ENGLAND
Ireland • Scotland • England
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020 

Plays and playwrights are not bound by time or geographically drawn borders. They speak to each other and influence each other across time and space. This course will focus on major playwrights, both historical and contemporary, of arguably the greatest theatrical tradition of all time – that of England, Ireland, and Scotland. From Shakespeare to writers like Synge, O’Casey, and Shaw to modern playwrights like Martin McDonagh, Carol Ann Duffy, David Hare and Caryl Churchill, we will look at what made those playwrights so influential in their own time as well as how they continue to influence contemporary writers. We will look at plays as literature on the page, and in performance on stage, as they are meant to be encountered. We will also visit key historical sites in order to greater understand the political and intellectual circumstances in which these writers were working and in which their successors continue to work.  Special attention will be paid to Shakespeare as a writer for the stage and a man of the theatre, with visits to theatres to hear and see plays, backstage tours, and critical discussions of directorial, design, and acting choices. Plays to be studied are to be determined as productions are announced.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Theatre 585: Theatre Alive - Theatre in Ireland, Scotland, and England
• Literature 585: Theatre Alive - Theatre in Ireland, Scotland, and England
• English 585: Theatre Alive - Theatre in Ireland, Scotland, and England

Sites visited include: 

• Ireland: Dublin
• Scotland: Edinburgh
• England: Stratford-upon-Avon, London

WINE, GASTRONOMY & SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
France • Spain
December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The Wine, Gastronomy & Sustainability of the Mediterranean J-Term Seminar focuses on the appreciation of gastronomy and wine, while exploring regional and local delicacies. Students will learn to appreciate how these products are produced, understand how they impact the environment, and will begin to recognize how our consumption choices may be a potential solution or hazard to the global environmental crisis. In this multi-country traveling seminar, students will have the opportunity to taste French and Spanish wines, speak directly with winemakers and industry experts, and visit cultural sites in France and Spain.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Business/Wine Studies 506: The Global Wine Industry 
• Geography/Marketing/Wine Studies 503: Regional Wine Trade and Economics 
• Hospitality Management/Wine Studies 517: Wine and Food Pairing 
• Marketing/Wine Studies 512: Wine Marketing and Analysis 
• Environmental Studies 575: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin 
• International Relations 575: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin 
• Geography 575: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin

Sites visited include: 

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and Bordeaux 
• Spain: Barcelona and Penedès