NEWS

By DEE REID
College of Arts and Sciences

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks sixth among all U.S. research universities for the total number of students receiving academic credit for studying abroad during the 2000-2001 academic year.

The ranking comes from Open Doors 2002, an annual report published by the Institute of International Education. When measuring the percentage of students going abroad, the institute ranks Carolina third among major public research universities and 13th among all major research universities.

Carolina sent 1,286 students to foreign lands in 2000-2001, representing about 21 percent of the number of students earning undergraduate and graduate degrees (6,123), according to the report.

"A well-educated university graduate in the 21st century simply must have an understanding of other societies, cultures, economies and places," said Dr. Risa Palm, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which oversees the university’s undergraduate study abroad programs. "This is why we are committed to providing meaningful international experiences to as many students as possible. To this end, we have expanded our study abroad programs, partnerships and scholarship opportunities, and developed a major in international and area studies."

The Office of Study Abroad, which operates within the College of Arts and Sciences, administers more than 230 programs in 64 countries, including many led by Carolina faculty. For example, Studio Art Professor Elin O’Hara Slavick will lead a program in Florence next summer, where she will teach a course on "Conceptual Photography" at Studio Art Centers International.

Many innovative study abroad opportunities are sponsored by the Honors Program and the Burch Field Research Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, such as the following examples:

· Last summer, a group of 17 undergraduates received an insider’s view of culture, politics, national security and international relations in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dr. Robert Jenkins’ field research seminar on the role of international organizations in central Europe began at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, and involved meetings with high-level officials and excursions to Budapest, Sarajevo, Banja Luca and Mostar. A similar program will occur this summer.

· Another group of 17 Tar Heels spent this fall semester in South Africa with Dr. Julius Nyang’oro studying the country’s conflicts, culture and politics, and working in internships at agencies involved in democratization, education, health care and social welfare.

· During the upcoming spring semester, 40 top music students from Carolina and the Prague Conservatory will study in the Czech Republic with UNC and Czech faculty, and perform in the concert capitals of central Europe in an unprecedented U.S.-Czech wind ensemble.

· In the spring of 2004, students will conduct scientific research in Chile on the ground-breaking Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research being built by Carolina and other collaborators atop the Andes mountains.

In fall 2003, the Honors Program will launch new Honors Study Abroad programs in Sydney and Cape Town.

Carolina also has a new program designed to interest first-year students in international studies and enable them to go abroad the summer following their freshman year. Under the new Summer Immersion Program in Singapore, 25 rising sophomores will study at the National University of Singapore next summer. Students will take classes with faculty from Carolina and the Singapore campus, and participate in excursions to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Even after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent U.S. war in Afghanistan, the number of Carolina students going abroad increased by 4 percent over the previous year, according to the Office of Study Abroad.

"Students see that study abroad is more important than ever in light of the rapidly changing international situation, " said Dr. Robert Miles, director of the Office of Study Abroad. "We offer diverse programs to meet a wide range of student needs. Students can study abroad for a summer, a semester or an entire academic year. Some programs require fluency in a foreign language, others enhance the student’s foreign language capabilities, and still others are offered in English. We are especially committed to assisting more students to study abroad in South America, Asia and Africa and to increase the number of science majors who study abroad."

Scholarships are available for some study abroad programs through private funds. For example, the Singapore program provides scholarships to support the costs for 25 students per year, thanks to major

funding from Carolina alumnus Alston Gardner, and the Burch Programs support independent studies and faculty-led seminars abroad, with funding from alumnus Lucius Burch III.

In addition, the Study Abroad Office is collaborating with the School for International Training to increase the diversity of students participating in study abroad programs sponsored by the school through the provision of $25,000 in scholarships for Carolina students in 2003.

Still, additional private funds are critical in order to expand study abroad opportunities to more Carolina students.

The most popular destinations for Carolina students in 2000-2001 were, in descending order: Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Mexico. UNC students also have studied in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Madagascar, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, Tanzania and Thailand.

The Curriculum in International and Area Studies, now in its third year and chaired by Dr. James Hevia, is the 10th most popular undergraduate program in the college, with 300 majors and double majors. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for leadership in global business, diplomacy, human rights, international aid and economic development. The academic program draws on courses throughout the humanities and social sciences and provides an academic framework for integrating study abroad experiences into students’ overall undergraduate studies.

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Sources: Robert Miles, Office of Study Abroad, (919) 962-7002; James Leloudis and Ross Lewin, Honors Program and Burch Program (919) 966-5110; James Hevia, International and Area Studies, (919) 962-5442

College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339
News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593