UVA in Greece: Odyssey in the Anthropocene

Inspired by Homeric poems and Odysseus’ travels, as well as current sustainability challenges in the Aegean, this experiential learning and sailing program introduces students to both past and present ways of life in Athens, the Saronic and Argolic Gulf islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Dhokos, and the Peloponnese peninsula. Greece offers unique environmental and cultural resources to support student learning about changing human-environmental relations, culture, and settlement patterns from antiquity to the Anthropocene. 

In the process of passing one of the EU’s most ambitious climate laws, Greece plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030 and intends to be fully net zero by 2050. Ten types of single-use plastic products were banned in 2021, 12% of electricity demand is generated by wind turbines and 7% by solar, and sustainable water initiatives are underway. Greening its’ 200 inhabited islands will create Europe’s largest network of sustainable off-grid communities. While most current development consumes vast amounts of water and energy, traditional Greek settlements and buildings were simply, effectively, and beautifully designed for their specific climate and provide important sustainability lessons.  

In ancient Greece important settlements were connected by water. The ocean was a divinity and source of all seas, rivers, and streams. From it rose the sun and dawn, the constellations, and in it they set. Students will experience the Greek islands more akin to how Odysseus saw them—from the sea in sailing vessels. For two weeks we will live aboard 45 to 50 foot monohull yachts and sail with highly experienced, professional Greek skippers from Poros-based Greek Sails and Profs. Crisman and Petrus, who also skipper yachts in Greece. Sailing offers a sustainable way to travel by harnessing wind energy, while managing limited water supplies, wind and solar energy, and waste reduction strategies. Lectures, reading discussions, research reports, visits to significant sites, and cultural exchanges with Greek locals will provide opportunities for students to gain valuable knowledge and experiences. Daily academic field journal entries will require students to reflect on their learning. 

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Lithuania: Sustainable Urban Design Challenges

UVA in Lithuania: Sustainable Urban Design Challenges offers students of all majors and backgrounds the opportunity to work on real-world requests for sustainability interventions in a UNESCO World Heritage city in Northern Europe.
 
Students will spend three weeks in Vilnius, Lithuania working alongside students at the elite Vilnius Technical University (VT) campus. City officials, VT faculty, and business representatives will share their expertise with us as we work on projects for the city related to waste governance and recycling, smart interventions in mobility, green public spaces, and renewable energy and efficiency.
 
The primary teaching tool for this program will be a practicum focusing on an actual problem experienced by an industry client tor city agency. Understanding sustainability requires engagement across multiple disciplines. Our focus is on developing skills for investigating the combined social, technical, historical, cultural, and political aspects of enacting sustainability in practice.  These skills will be targeted at real world challenges that requiring dynamic systems thinking coupled to client focused design strategies.

Faculty will supervise student progress, offer their expertise in guided workshops, and help students and their teams to overcome any obstacles they might face. Site visits to various industries, labs and other facilities in Vilnius will enrich our understanding of the complex context and culture of these cities.

Application deadline: March 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Mexico City: Contemporary Culture, Development, and Migration in Ancient Aztec Captial

In this course, we will trace Mexico City's history from its roots as a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural Aztec capital to its present-day status as once of the world's great global metropoles. Moving from Aztec archaeological sites, to well-repserved colonial neighborhoods, to contemporary museusm and art galleries, students will learn about the city's past and present through a series of hands-on cultural expereinces. We will particularly focus on how migration and economic development have been closely intertwined in Mexico City for  the past 500 years, from trade between the Old World and the New beginning in the 16th century, to the internal migration that led to the capital's hyper-urban transformation in the 20th century, and how this cultural and economic exchange has positioned contemporary Mexico City to become a central global hub of artistic and creative industries like film, fashion, and architectural design. Along the way, we will meet with a number of scholars, writers, and artists whose work lies at the intersection of migration and global development. 

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in St. Kitts and Nevis: Public Health Sciences

The goal of  St. Kitts and Nevis program is to further explore and assess the potential implications as a result of Covid on child health in the west indies. The previous work explored child asthma as it relates to the cultural nuances and challenges faced in a country whose economy is tourism based. The impact of covid has not been assessed and the ministry of health is still interested in maintaining its UVA ties to explore the needs and research needed to invest strategic planning policies around child health since 2019.

Participants will learn and apply a fundamental knowledge of social, political and economic determinants of child health as they explore the existing covid induced challenges children now face in St. Kitts and Nevis. Included in class discussions and site-visits will be health care infrastructures and available educational materials in St. Kitts and Nevis. Culturally respectful engagement will be emphasized in the assessment of existing resources; collaboration with in-region partners and development of community-based health education materials sensitive to the indigenous priorities of the ministry of health and people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Vietnam: Hanoi's Hong River: Development, Climate, and Rights to the City

Study in Hanoi this summer 2024 with Vietnamese students and local experts. We will be exploring and developing applied, action-oriented research related to plans to redevelop a 40-km stretch of the Hong (or Red) River running through the capital city of Hanoi.

Multidisciplinary teams will tackle issues related to the ecology, social and political dynamics, the economy, and even the geopolitics of this complex system. We are looking for students with diverse interests, backgrounds, and skills from across the University. Virginia students will join with counterparts from Vietnam National University for a truly cross-cultural learning experience. Together, we’ll learn and use GIS, systems modeling, and other quantitative and qualitative research methods. Instructors include UVA and VNU professors, and local practitioners (architects, NGO leaders, and community development experts).

Application deadline: March 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Buenos Aires: Global Internships

UVA Global Internships, along with the Global Studies undergraduate major, is excited to offer Spanish-learning students an unbeatable opportunity for cultural, linguistic, and professional growth in South America. This academic global internship program will provide students from diverse academic backgrounds a pathway to embed themselves as interns at high-performing businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies in Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital city of Buenos Aires.

Our on-the-ground partner, Puentes Abroad, works with students on an individual basis to secure placements across a wide range of fields; all internships feature project-based work and close supervision. Program participants will connect their personal experiences in their Argentinian workplaces to broader themes of work, culture, and globalization in a Global Studies course while they are abroad. In addition to gaining unique entry into the society of Buenos Aires through their internships, students on this program will be challenged to strengthen their identities as life-long experiential learners and globally-aware budding professionals.

To complement their internships and course, program participants will have the chance to engage in cultural activities, such as a city tour of Buenos Aires, a tango class with a professional tango dancer, as well as a day trip to a typical ranch (“estancia”). Puentes Abroad will also coordinate professional development workshops and seminars on key themes of global work and Argentinian culture. Students will also have an orientation to Argentinian Spanish by a local language instructor.

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in Dublin: Internship Placement Program (IPP) Global

For over a decade, the UVA in Dublin: IPP Global academic internship program has provided a pathway for UVA undergraduates to study and work in one of the world’s most international cities. This program is the result of a collaboration between the UVA Internship Placement Program (IPP) in the Career Center and UVA Global Internships in the Education Abroad division of the International Studies Office.

Students from diverse academic backgrounds secure customized internships prior to their arrival in Ireland through an individualized placement process led by our on-the-ground partner in Dublin, EUSA. Internships are available with various types of professional organizations, including private sector businesses, political parties, law firms, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), advocacy groups, professional associations, and more. Internship placements are shaped by students’ interests, studies, experiences, and professional and academic plans. See the Academics and Internships tab for details on internship placements, hours, and more.

Program participants connect their personal experiences in their Irish workplaces to broader academic themes of work, culture, and globalization in a Global Studies course while they are abroad. This program challenges its participants to strengthen their identities as life-long experiential learners, to gain appreciation of key aspects of life in contemporary Ireland, and to critically reflect upon their development as globally-aware budding professionals.

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in Ghent: Global Internships in Education, Human Services, and Society

UVA is partnering with HoGent University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Ghent, Belgium and several of their research centers to offer internships for students with diverse interests. While primarily a teaching-oriented institution of professional studies and the arts, HoGent also promotes applied research aimed towards the realization of positive outcomes for Belgian, European, and global society.

This academic internship program will pair experiential learning about the realities of cross-cultural work in internships supervised by HoGent faculty members, all within the rich socio-cultural context of Belgium. In their placements, students will have the chance to develop first-hand comparative understandings of Belgian approaches to the provision of social services, education, and other fields. 

UVA students with wide-ranging academic/professional interests are likely to trace connections between their coursework and the ongoing projects led by HoGent faculty. These students may include (but are not limited to) those majoring in: Education, Psychology, Global Studies, Youth and Social  Innovation, Sociology, Politics, Anthropology, Public Policy, Political and Social Thought, and Philosophy. Because internships at HoGent will be writing- and research-intensive (dealing with both primary and secondary sources), students in the social sciences and humanities may find this program to be an especially welcome opportunity to explore the value of their academic skills/knowledge in an applied context.

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in India: Global Internships at Jindal Global University

UVA Global Internships is excited to partner with O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), India’s premier private higher education institution, to facilitate short-term internship placements at several of JGU’s fascinating research centres. This academic global internship program will pair experiential learning about the realities of cross-cultural work with the opportunity to develop comparative understandings of Indian approaches to law, politics, development, economics, heritage conservation, and many other fields. In addition to gaining a special view upon modern Indian society through their internships, program participants will be challenged to strengthen their identities as life-long learners and globally-aware budding professionals.

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in London: Global Internships

UVA Global Internships, along with the Global Studies undergraduate major, is excited to offer undergraduates a new opportunity for cultural, academic, and professional growth in one of the world's greatest cities.

This academic global internship program will provide students with diverse academic backgrounds the opportunity to explore what it is like to live and work in Great Britain's capital. Our on-the-ground partner, AES, will work with program participants on an individual basis to secure internship placements which will be customized based on interests and skills. Students will connect their personal experiences in their London-based workplaces to broader themes of work, culture, and globalization in their coursework. In addition to gaining special entry into modern British life through their internships, program participants will be challenged to strengthen their identities as life-long learners and globally-aware budding professionals.

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in Morocco: Participatory Development in Practice

Participatory development entails the empowerment of local communities and stakeholders to identify needs, priorities, and projects to achieve locally-defined goals of transformation. The High Atlas Foundation (HAF), a non-profit organization based in Marrakesh, has operated as a leading proponent of participatory development in Morocco since its founding in 2000 by former Peace Corps volunteers. The HAF acts as a bridge between local communities and institutional partners (governmental, non-governmental, and private business) that can provide needed resources to achieve desired outcomes. Check out the HAF blog for details about recent initiatives.

This 8-week hybrid internship-study abroad program offers the unique opportunity to pair academic learning about global approaches to community development with an actual experience of work in this professional field, all within the fascinating national context of Morocco. Students will have the chance to develop first-hand understandings of the participatory approach to development by cultivating skills (as facilitators and participants) in its methods, within both the classroom and community settings, and by documenting its practice.

In the course of the program, students will be exposed to a range of themes relating to development through the work of HAF, including women's empowerment, conflict management, environmental conservation, cooperative-driven entrepreneurism, migration, and more. This opportunity is particularly relevant for, but not limited to, students interested in environments and sustainability, women’s studies, global culture and commerce, security and justice, public health, and development studies.

In previous terms, UVA student interns with the High Atlas Foundation found that writing was an important aspect of their internships. They drafted grant proposals, articles, and blog posts which were then disseminated widely across media outlets in Morocco, Africa, and beyond. HAF has created a whole webpage to feature the work of UVA students; visit it to get a sense of the breadth of issues and subjects with which student-interns can engage.

For a quick and fun introduction to the program, watch Summer 2022 program alumna Livie Nute's Instagram video. 

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA in Paris: Global Internships

UVA Global Internships, along with the Global Studies undergraduate major, is excited to offer French-learning students an unbeatable opportunity for cultural, linguistic, and professional growth in France’s famed capital. This academic global internship program will provide students from diverse academic backgrounds a pathway to customized internships across a range of professional fields. Our on-the-ground partner in Paris, EUSA, will lead program participants through an individualized placement process prior to their arrival in Paris, based on students’ interests, aims, studies, and experiences. Internships are available with various types of professional organizations, including private sector businesses, arts and culture organizations, research units, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social support centers, and more.

Program participants will connect their personal experiences in their French workplaces to broader themes of work, culture, and globalization in a Global Studies course while they are abroad. In addition to gaining unique entry into everyday life in globalized Paris through their internships and homestays, students on this program will be challenged to strengthen their identities as life-long experiential learners and globally-aware budding professionals.

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…

UVA Global Internships: Virtual Internships

This online education abroad program offers UVA undergraduates the chance to extend their relationships with “the global” through virtual internships with international organizations. We began this program as an experiment in the thick of the COVID-19 crisis; at that time, we were forced to reckon with difficult questions regarding how we might strengthen our motivations and abilities to work across cultures while physical travel was challenging. As time has gone on, we have understood that virtual work across boundaries will forever be an aspect of our working lives and it pays to practice it wisely.

We are proud that this program is made possible by engaging international partners both inside and outside the University. We all work with the hope that we should practice new modes of learning, growing, contributing, and thriving as conditions unfold, in world which inevitably continues to be characterized by global interconnections and flows.  

The program provides direct UVA credit through the Global Studies undergraduate program. We believe strongly in the value of establishing an academic scaffold around international internships in order to enhance students’ personal, professional, cultural, social, and intellectual development. Ultimately, we hope the Virtual Global Internships academic program will serve to:  

• Provide critical encouragement for students to continue to cultivate their “global”-orientation and to expand their knowledge of conditions abroad (social, cultural, economic, environmental, professional, etc.), even while not physically experiencing "another" cultural context
• Assist students in gaining perspective on what skills, qualities, motivations, and competencies can be developed and reinforced through “global” virtual work, as well as further understanding of recent trends related to remote work
• Enhance students’ abilities to develop relationships with international colleagues and gain exposure to diverse professional and life pathways
• Provide our valued partner organizations with enthusiastic student manpower to accomplish work under challenging professional conditions

Application deadline: April 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs…