Spring Study-abroad Trips

International academic experiences this spring include trips to the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, India and Japan.

During spring break, nine students traveled to the Dominican Republic for Laboratory: Animal Behavior with Marion McClary, biological sciences and co-director, natural sciences (Metro). They joined marine biology students who have been taking classes at FDU’s marine science laboratory on the Samana Peninsula on the country’s northeast corner since February 4. Marine biology courses, which are taken entirely in the Dominican Republic and culminate in a research project, are Beach Ecology with Irwin Isquith, biological sciences (Metro); Tropical Marine Vegetation and Tropical Marine Vertebrates with Hector Ramirez, a professor in the Dominican Republic; Tropical Marine Invertebrates with McClary; and Marine Biology Research, with both McClary and Isquith.

Marine biology students in the
Dominican Republic.

Also, students of the International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management traveled to Switzerland and Italy from March 12 to March 20 as part of their undergraduate Global Issues in Hospitality Management course. In preparation for their study abroad, International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management students visited the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on February 9. Accompanied by Aixa Ritz, hotel/restaurant/tourism management (Metro), the students toured the complex and were invited to dine in the U.N. Delegate’s dining room, where they enjoyed a buffet-style lunch.

Highlights of the Swiss trip include visits to Hotel L’Aubier, an environmental hotel that practices and epitomizes sustainability, where students attended a lecture on sustainability and property management; to Chateau de Boudry Museum, where they enjoyed wine tasting; and to Mount Titlis, the highest peak in central Switzerland with the world’s first revolving cable car. The group will also tour Hotel Montana and the University of Lugano, where they will attend lectures; and are scheduled for a “back-of-the-house” tour at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa, a member of the five-star Leading Hotels of the World chain. Twenty-six students are accompanied by Joseph Tormey, hospitality management, and Kirsten Tripodi, hospitality management (both Metro).

Twenty-five students are in Italy with Aixa Ritz, hotel/restaurant/tourism management, and Donald Hoover, hospitality management (both Metro). The trip includes lunch at the rooftop restaurant of the Grand Hotel Baglioni, a Leading Hotel of the World, in Bologna; a walking tour of Reggio Emilia and Florence; a wine tasting at Casali Winery in the Tuscan Hills; visits to the Academia Barilla gastronomic library in Parma; a guided tour of the Barilla Pasta factory; a tour of a parmesan-cheese manufacturing plant; and a slow-food presentation at the Universita degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche (University of Gastronomic Sciences). Students attended lectures on the history of Hotel Posta in Reggia-Romagna, where they stayed, and an introduction to Italian culture. The group also prepared lunch at the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence and visited Bologna’s Tourist Office in Maggiore Square.

The theater arts program at the College at Florham arranged a seven-day trip to England during spring break for the undergraduate London Theater Experience course. Under the leadership of Stephen Hollis, theater and director, theater arts (Flor), students watched plays staged by production companies such as the National Theatre of Great Britain and the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as West End and Fringe productions. Students also participated in workshops at the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe and had the opportunity to meet actors, directors and playwrights. This year’s trip received some funding from the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

The Taj Mahal in Agra,
India.

The School of Administrative Science is sponsoring a special study-abroad opportunity in India for both undergraduate and graduate students from April 1 to 11. The trip will include tours of New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. This educational trip will provide students with an opportunity to experience various aspects of culture, diversity, heritage, economy and leadership in the Indian context and combines both theory and related field experiences in a developing country. The group also will attend seminars on the workings of Indian democracy, the impact of globalization on India and conflict and cooperation in South Asia.

In India, the three-credit graduate course Leading Culturally Diverse Workplaces will be taught by Paulette Laubsch, administrative science and director, MS in homeland security (Metro). This course will explore the dimensions of diversity, cross-cultural models, assessment tools and cross-cultural relationships. William “Pat” Schuber, administrative science (Metro), will teach the six-credit undergraduate course Seminar on Leadership Development. In this course, the students will learn about leadership theories and their application in the public-sector setting, with a view toward developing their individual leadership skills.

The Becton College’s modern languages program is offering a one-credit course, Spanish Culture and Civilization: Study Abroad, directly linked to study abroad in Spain. Students may also consider three credits of independent study largely formed by the cultural excursion along with additional assignments on Spanish culture. Scheduled for May 19 through May 31, the course will be offered in English and Spanish by Silvia Belen-Ramos and Laureano Corces, both Spanish (Flor). Experiential learning will focus on two distinct Spanish regions: Castile and Andalusia. Madrid will be used as a base to discover the historical heartland of the nation. Students will visit medieval Toledo, where Arab, Christian and Jewish cultures coexisted and have all left their mark. They also will visit a Roman aqueduct in Segovia and the Alcázar of Segovia, a stone fort that rises above the city. In Andalusia, the students will explore Seville and Córdoba.

Wroxton Abbey

Thirteen students, accompanied by Robert Vodde, criminal justice and director, criminal justice/legal studies, and Roger Forsthoff, University College (Metro), will be in Wroxton College, England, from May 18 to May 30, as part of their Global Terrorism course. The course will explore the history, causes, motives and effects of terrorism from an international perspective. It will feature guest lecturers from within Britain’s government, academic community and criminal justice system. Students will have the opportunity to visit historical sites such as Banbury, Bath, Bourton-on-the-Water, the Old Bailey, Oxford, Parliament, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle. They also will enjoy a weekend stay in London and attend performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Ten students in the Pacific Worlds course taught by Gary Darden, U.S. history (Flor), and three former QUEST program students will be in Japan from May 17 to May 30. The course will explore the interconnected worlds of Asia, Oceania and the Americas through the lens of the Pacific Ocean. The trip will include visits to Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Another group of students, from the Comparative Government course under Peter Woolley, political science and executive director, PublicMind (Flor), will also be traveling to Japan. The courses will be held on the main island Honshu, covering such cities as Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima.

For more information about other spring and summer study-abroad courses go to http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=5600 .