In the summer of 2024, among the various Trinity study abroad programs, Jenny Browne, English professor, will lead the first-ever Trinity in Ireland trip and Rosa Aloisi, associate professor for political science and department chair, will lead her International Criminal Justice trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Studying abroad can be an opportunity to learn a new language, form lifetime friendships with people from diverse backgrounds and widen horizons while benefiting personally, academically and vocationally.
“I think future employers all want students with real-world experiences who are resourceful and can synthesize and communicate complicated, even conflicting, truths about the world,” Browne wrote in an email. “Studying abroad allows us to take our classroom learning into the field, forces us to challenge our assumptions and helps us build deeper relationships with our professors and peers. I think it’s a great opportunity for any student, and I hope shorter trips like this can make studying abroad even more accessible for students who can’t do a full semester or year.”
IRELAND:
Trinity in Ireland is a new study-abroad opportunity that will take travelers to Ireland for two weeks in late July and early August 2024. Students participating in the trip will enroll in a fall English/creative writing course called “Borders and Belonging: Writing Contemporary Ireland,” which fulfills the creative expression, global awareness and written communication pathways credits.
Students will travel to Dublin, Belfast, Derry and Galway throughout their two weeks. Browne was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Belfast, Northern Ireland in late 2019 and early 2020, and she will be returning this spring for a second Fulbright in Irish literature.
“I think many people have a somewhat stereotypical idea of Ireland — shamrocks and Guinness, etc.,” Browne wrote in an email. “That is a part of it, sure, but my work in Ireland has allowed me to forge strong connections with writers, artists, musicians, teachers and people working in peace and reconciliation post-‘Troubles’ in the North. All of them have worked in one way or another to shape a much more layered sense of Irish identity through questions of colonialism, religion and gender. This trip will really allow students to have an intimate experience beyond what tourists see, and I’m especially excited to introduce students to the complex history of Derry, the dramatic landscapes of West and the vibrant culture of Galway.”
Clara Smartt, junior environmental science and business double-major and Spanish minor, is one of the students going on the trip. She is excited about the change of pace from her other classes.
“I chose the Trinity in Ireland program because it will provide a completely new experience. Almost all the classes I take each semester fall under [my course study], and I don’t have much room for something new and different,” Smartt wrote in an email. “When I saw the Trinity in Ireland program, it was super appealing because it will offer me a new perspective, as it is poetry-based. I have also heard amazing things about the professors leading the trip.”
There are five spaces left for students who want to sign up for this trip. The formal registration deadline is March 15, but the course is rapidly filling up. Please contact Browne at [email protected] or English professor Kathryn Santos at [email protected] for additional information, questions and concerns. The cost per student ranges from $5,000 to $6,000 and will depend on the final number of participants. The Center for International Education has scholarships available.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA:
Trinity in Bosnia is another upcoming study-abroad program that will take students to Bosnia and Herzegovina for two weeks, from May 27 to June 9. Students on the trip will have the opportunity to speak with survivors of the 1995 Bosnian Genocide, interact with community activists and attend lectures.
The group also will have as many social gatherings as possible while visiting local eateries and markets and supporting local communities. One of the professors organizing the trip is Rosa Aloisi whose research focuses on genocide and war crimes in eastern Europe.
“I am excited about allowing students to learn and experience on the ground what it means to live in a country that has recently experienced one of the most violent forms of persecution against the civilian population,” Aloisi wrote in an email. “I have run this program since 2015 — with some variations — and the most rewarding experience is seeing students being greatly impacted by talking with genocide survivors, learning about the resilience of the civilian population and ultimately, seeing a country rebuild its rule of law and political independence.”
Aaralyn Burt, first-year political science, philosophy and psychology triple-major, is going on the trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. While this trip seems short compared to full summer or semester-long programs, Burt is grateful for Trinity’s accommodations. Burt wanted to study abroad but was worried she wouldn’t have a full semester to do so, so this two-week trip is perfect.
“I love learning about hard and dense topics like mass genocide and mass tragedy, so I’m excited to talk to survivors, go to museums and experience a post-tragedy culture,” Burt said. “Their culture is pretty restrictive towards women, so although I’m excited to be educated and experience a different culture, it severely differs from the American culture I am used to and may be a shock.”
There are 14 open spaces left for students who want to sign up for this trip, and registration ends by Dec. 1. Contact Aloisi at [email protected] or anthropology professor Alfred Montoya at [email protected] for additional information, questions and concerns. The cost per student is $6,500, and the Center for International Education has scholarships available.
