This fall, Syracuse University students will have the opportunity to learn about development and cultural reconciliation in an area once influenced by Nazism and Soviet Communism in the 20th century.

SU Abroad is currently accepting applications to a new program in Wroclaw, Poland that is offered in the fall. The program, titled The Culture and Politics of Reconciliation, studies issues in Poland. Through coursework, travel and a research project, students will study the effects of war, colonialism and cultural division, according to SU Abroad. The application deadline for the Wroclaw program is May 15.

SU Abroad currently offers a summer program in Wroclaw, and it will continue once the semester-long program starts. Both programs focus on themes of urban transformation and ongoing models of reconciliation in the aftermath of 20th century totalitarian oppression, including Nazism and Soviet Communism.

Roughly 20 students applied to the summer and semester programs combined, Sue Shane, director of programs at SU Abroad, said in an email. SU Abroad expects 10 students to participate in the fall semester program.

The Wroclaw program follows the same process and deadlines as the other eight SU Abroad programs, Shane said. Unlike other semester-long programs offered through SU Abroad, the Wroclaw program is not offered in the spring.

Students will also be able to travel to several European capitals, which Shane said strengthens the learning process.

“While the home base is in Wroclaw, Poland, much of the program is taught in major cities throughout the greater region, including Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow and Vilnius,” she said. “This multi-site dynamic allows for a more intensive and comparative approach, which works well for a program focused on learning through action research.”

Students enrolled in the fall semester will take classes that are not available in the summer program, Shane said. They’ll be able to take classes with European students at the University of Lower Silesia who are also interested in peace and justice studies and conflict transformation, she said.

“This is not possible during the summer, where the program is designed for students from U.S. universities,” Shane said.

Housing is situated in the center of the Wroclaw, and students will be able to take public transportation to the university and other parts of the city, according to SU Abroad.

The fall 2014 program has a $3,300 program fee, which in addition to the cost of living, is significantly lower than other programs abroad, Shane said. Every student accepted to the program will receive a $1,000 travel grant from SU Abroad.

Kelly Montague, a senior geography major who studied in Poland in the summer of 2013, said she grew as a student while in Wroclaw, but also traveled to places she never thought she would go.

“Not only did I get to learn so much more in-depth information about World War II and Central Europe, but I also got to travel to very important places,” she said. “I was able to visit places forgotten even by the residents of Wroclaw and really understand the magnitude of events that took place in Poland for Jewish people and Polish people alike.”

The program’s emphasis on travel also drew Jake Fabrizio, a freshman international relations and history major, who will be studying in Poland in the fall. He said the variety of travel destinations attracted him, and the program made sense given the interests of his major. Fabrizio said the authenticity of the program is also appealing.

“It is somewhat of a non-traditional location, so I will get a somewhat authentic experience,” he said. “I won’t just be with all SU kids, I will be with tons of European students.”

Montague said the program provided an unforgettable experience.

Said Montague: “This program and its course instructors facilitated learning experiences and formed memories that I will never forget.”

Published on April 15, 2014 at 12:49 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306