by Connor Parks
Having recently returned from a semester abroad, I can confidently say it’s an experience everyone at Centre should take advantage of. I will forever vouch for the extraordinary possibilities offered through any study abroad opportunity from Centre, be it as brief as a CentreTerm or as long as a full year away. The variety of experiences Centre offers each year inevitably varies, and with the recent leadership change at CentreGlobal, I sought to answer a few questions. Most importantly, I wondered how current student trends in selecting programs compare to the past decade. Even more, what are students seeking from Centre’s study abroad offerings? Through discussions with friends, clubmates, and other students around campus, I gleaned some basics about what students want the immediate future of study abroad to look like at Centre.
Firstly, I noticed that certain programs seemed particularly popular among the student body, such as both semesters of Centre-In-Mérida with the return of the fall program, and the relatively new Akita International program. Aside from specific programs, however, many students suggested more cohort-based study abroad opportunities for different clubs, sports teams, and departments. While some ideas are supposedly “in the works” for additional club and department trips in the near future, it’s important to note that Centre athletics trips are wholly unconnected from CentreGlobal’s jurisdiction, although they do provide meaningful study abroad opportunities for those less able to attend programs through the academic year. Additionally, many students expressed interest in an uptick in medically focused programs, both CentreTerms and semesters. With the coming rollout of the Uganda global health consortium program, it seems steps are already being taken to address this. To take these interests to an institutional level, I spoke with both a past and present leader of CentreGlobal to both convey student wishes and gain a perspective on current trends across the board.
I first spoke with Dr. Lori Hartmann, current chair of the International Studies department and director of Centre for Global Citizenship (now CentreGlobal) from 2019 to 2023. Upon her assuming the position, Centre considered “global citizenship” as just as vital to the college as the liberal arts “well-roundedness” we constantly hear about. Despite the recent name change, the office continues to be the space where faculty and staff work most closely together due to many programs being faculty-led. Most of Centre’s current programs across the board arrived in the late 2010s, going from roughly 12 to 20 destinations annually, yet there haven’t been many major changes since 2019 due to the burdens of shifting contracts and logistics within countries or regions. Recent examples of this include the partnership shift from Yamaguchi Prefectural University to the current Akita International program, as well as the closure of the Shanghai program and replacement with the current Taiwan program.
Essentially, Centre’s study abroad options fit into one of four categories: faculty-led (think Mérida, Strasbourg, or London, the “big three”), direct enrollment in another university (Reading, Akita, Glasgow, etc), exchange programs (like Bhutan), and third party (Centre partnering with an organisation and sending individual students through it). Dr. Hartmann heavily emphasised the importance of three factors in establishing any of these types of programs in a new location. Firstly notable is general student interest in a given program, while covering as many world regions as possible yet offering at least one program in every language Centre teaches at a given time is also an issue of major concern. We’ve seen these factors play out in the establishment of the highly acclaimed Bhutan program, the growingly popular semester in Erlangen, and both immersion and non-immersion options for Spanish and French students in Mexico, France, and Spain. While nothing is certain yet, she suggested that the idea of a program in Morocco, perhaps even a future flagship in the same vein as Strasbourg or London, has been brainstormed for years in order to add a base in the Middle East or North Africa. With a tight 2026-27 budget, this may not be an immediate possibility, yet it’s certainly something to consider as all potential programs are considered largely through student interest.
For a more current perspective, I spoke with newly appointed CentreGlobal director Dr. Matthew Pierce, who divulged even more about actual trends and future possibilities as Centre’s connections constantly expand. Though previous records haven’t been easy to locate, he was able to state that Centre continues to reflect national trends in students having more interest in European programs than anywhere else. This is easily seen in the competitiveness of programs across the continent throughout the school year. Some exceptions exist, such as the highly marketed Akita, Bhutan, and Mérida, yet this has tended to be the case since study abroad first became a true highlight of the Centre experience. A more thorough program assessment with a full array of student feedback is currently in progress for the next two or so years, taking into account a broad spectrum of factors. The primary concern, in his eyes, is seeing that exchange programs specifically are best meeting student needs and interests long-term, yet ensuring the sustainability of each program is equally as important.
As far as new long-term programs go, Dr. Pierce was careful to note that Centre’s selection process is very taxing, with the college purposefully pursuing various options while knowing not all of them will be chosen. Nevertheless, additional programs are currently in early stages of scouting and planning in countries such as China, Australia, and the previously mentioned Morocco. A new flagship program (like the big three from earlier) is another possibility to be considered after one to two more application cycles, ensuring a balance of culture and pedagogy, and working to not undermine existing programs. This may end up coming in the form of another shared program with similar universities, such as our Ecuador, South Africa, and New York offerings, often directed by Rhodes or Sewanee faculty. Crucially, this may be ideal for Centre’s current financial state, given the ability to share monetary responsibilities with other universities while semester programs come directly from the institutional budget. This, then, allows Centre to save costs by sending more students to rotating programs and maximising existing spots.
Finally, Dr. Pierce was eager to note some newer developments. One particular piece of good news is that Centre is hoping to restore more summer study abroad options based on growing student interest, after most programs were discontinued over the past decade. Additionally, the arrival of the previously mentioned Ugandan global health CentreTerm program, cotaught by Drs. Paumi and Earle, marks a critical moment in Centre’s global partnerships with research funding provided by the American Heart Association. Funding for this program is set to be heavily subsidized by the organisation, and its application cycle will open even before this year’s study abroad fair rolls around on November 17th. The structure of immersion program offerings may also be up for some reevaluation, although this remains dependent on the amount of interested students proficient in each language Centre offers.
Given updates and possibilities such as all of these, it’s safe to say that the future looks bright for those seeking a more “nontraditional” long-term study abroad experience while at Centre.
For decades, study abroad has not only been an integral aspect of Centre’s identity, but its role in the broader global community as well. Though student wishes evolve over time, it’s an opportunity which can’t be taken for granted while studying here. Frankly, I don’t care exactly where you go: hop a plane to Strasbourg, jet off to New Zealand, head down to Mérida (shameless plug but please, you won’t regret it), but wherever the case, don’t let Centre’s phenomenal study abroad possibilities slip through your fingers before ending your brief time here. Wherever you end up may just be the best decision you ever unexpectedly made.