In April, the
University of Delawareās 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, UDās 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.
āBut First, France,ā 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 yearās 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 yearās series, entitled āFostering Mutual
Understanding: Making Womenās Voices Heard.ā
For the Universityās polyglots, DLLC will offer numerous opportunities, beginning with āCareer Opportunities for Language Majorsā 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 RĆ©parer 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 masterās degree in one of
more than 150 countries.
For students, faculty and staff who wish to experience āApril in
Paris,ā 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 Scholarsā April 20 International Coffee Hour
will feature UDairyās 1923 ice cream and French music by WVUDās Maria
Chudzik. This weekly event, aimed at creating connections between UDās
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 departmentās 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,
āLanguages of the People: A Romanian-Jewish Philologist on Yiddish,
Romanian and French,ā will trace pioneering philologist and folklorist
LazÓr ČÓineanu and his work through the conflicts of his time.
Honoring 95 Years
āBut First, Franceā celebrations will kick off the Universityās 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.
āWe are thrilled at IGS to be celebrating the 95th anniversary of
study abroad and UDās place in the nationās history of international
education,ā said IGS Director Trevor Nelson. āThis 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.ā
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 Universityās 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 Womenās 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.
Article by Nikki Laws; illustration by Christian Derr