Malaspina offers four new field schools overseas

If you love to travel, there are plenty of exciting opportunities through Malaspina University-College’s Study Abroad program.

Students and community members can participate in four new field schools – for credit or general interest – including destinations to Spain, Cuba, Macedonia, and Belgium.

“We're offering four new field schools next spring or summer,” said Audrey Hansen, Coordinator of Malaspina’s Study Abroad program. “The field schools are geared for students, but if there’s space available, members of the public are welcome to take part. It’s more than a vacation,” Hansen added. “These field schools are a chance for students and community members to travel abroad with experts from Malaspina. It’s a great learning experience for the intellectually curious.”

Spain

This year for the first time, Malaspina professor Dr. Ana Maria Donat of the Modern Language department will share her passion of her home country with students and community members during a field school to Spain May 3 to June 14. The six-week program will combine intensive Spanish language instruction with lectures, field trips, sightseeing and culinary experiences.

“It’s chance to immerse yourself in the rich culture of Spain,” said Donat. The program begins in Vallodolid, a former medieval town rich in ancient churches, museums and monuments. The final three weeks will be spent in Santander, the capital of Cantabria, considered by many to be the most beautiful place on Earth. Set among the rolling hills, towering cliffs and diverse beaches, the city has become one of Spain’s most popular resorts for wealthy people from Madrid.

Cuba

Another new field school offered by Malaspina will allow students and community members to explore Cuba’s rich history May 17 to June 7.

“Cuba is filled with examples that cannot help but spark your interest of politics, revolutions and international relations,” said Global Studies professor Dr. Catherine Schittecatte. The three-week field school, described as one of the most thorough study abroad programs to Cuba, will appeal to students or community members who are seeking to understand key aspects of world politics and average peoples’ ability to surmount the great challenges history throws at them.

"The trip will provide an opportunity to experience Cuban history and culture, and includes visits to historical sites and museums, with an emphasis on the Cuban Revolution, Cuba and world politics and some colonial perspectives," explained Schittecatte.

The idea for the field school was born last year as she was riding on a bus into Havana, weaving through the narrow streets of the Cuban capital. “Everything I had read about in textbooks and discussed in classrooms came to life,” she said. “One thing stood out – the determination and courage of Cuban people in the face of extreme challenges is directly evident, along with their incredible spirit. This is what I want to share with participants. For more information, I invite people to look at a special website we created at www.cubaculture.ca."

Western Front of the First World War

Malaspina History professor Stephen Davies will lead a field school to Belgium in May exploring the Western Front of the First World War. Focusing on the two major regions of the war, the Ypres Salient and the Somme, participants will examine the course of the war through battlefields, cemeteries, museums, and other sites of interest. Participants will be guided along the Front by members of Malaspina’s History Department and professional guides from the region.

“An important component of the program will be the examination of the war as it is presented and remembered today, and the way in which the same war is seen though different eyes,” explained Davies. “The program has scheduled visits to a variety of museums and interpretive sites, such as Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel, along the Western Front. Participants will meet with the curatorial staff for behind-the-scenes tours and discussions of their particular presentation of the war. Participants will also take part in the “The Platoon Experience”, a soldier re-enactment program at the Passchendaele museum.

Interspersed with the Western Front studies will be tour days outside the region to places of interest such as Luxemburg, and the medieval Belgian city of Bruges. There will also be a tour day in Paris at the end of the program.

Macedonia

Malaspina's Anthropology field school tentatively scheduled for July 9 to August 9 will offer fun and adventure in Macedonia. Local guides will introduce participants to the different districts of the city. There will be music festivals and special events,  as well as museum visits and lectures about the intriguing history of Skopje and Macedonia. Participants will enjoy weekend excursions to major events and sites of stunning beauty including Ohrid, Galichnik, Krushevo, Bitola, Heraclea, Kokino Observatory and Stobi.

The field school includes guest lectures in English from different specialists in the area, including social anthropologists, archeologists, political scientists, historians, folklorists, artists, musicians and development workers. There will be special emphasis on the development of internships for students who may wish to extend their stay in Macedonia. In addition, participants will meet anthropology students from the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology at Sts. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.

Hansen said many of the field schools include classroom instruction time before and after the trips, in addition to regular courses for those taking the field school for credit. Students or community members interested in learning more about specific field schools offered through Malaspina University-College are encouraged to visit the website at www.viu.ca/studyabroad. The website includes all the pertinent information about course credit, prices and application deadlines.