Miami Hurricanes traveled across the globe this summer, studying, interning, and conducting research throughout Europe, Asia and Canada.
In total, more than 160 University of Miami students and 27 faculty members spent time learning and studying in foreign countries this summer, said Devika Milner, assistant dean and director of the University's study abroad program.
“These programs encourage experiential learning and a true ‘beyond the classroom’ experience which is impactful for students,” Milner said. “It’s also important that students have the option to study abroad in the summer, since many aren’t able to participate for a full semester.”
Throughout June and July, business students learned about luxury marketing and operations management in Italy, while architecture students toured some the most impressive structures in Spain, Italy, France and Greece. Other programs explored filmmaking in the Czech Republic, as well as Germany, Switzerland and Japan. And an interdisciplinary course in ecosystem science, literature and ocean sciences followed the path of the Vikings through Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
Throughout the summer, students and faculty shared their travel and learning stories. Here is a recap of some of the contributions:
London and Switzerland:
A firsthand lesson in parliamentary politics
This summer a new prime minister was being elected in Britain and the country was rushing into a new chapter in its four-year-long struggle to break away from the European Union. A dozen UM students, participating in the three-week global communications program in London, had a front row seat to one of the most intense periods in British politics.
Study abroad programs expand in London and Switzerland
Students interested in sport administration and environmental storytelling can now explore their passion for the subject in a new location. Study Abroad is offering a sport administration program in London, and the storytelling program is taking place in Switzerland.
Spain:
Seeing Barcelona through his lens
Charles Gonzalez, a junior in the School of Communication, traveled to Barcelona this summer for a photography workshop. “Most of our class time was spent taking photos in rural areas of town, as well as local hotspots such as the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and The Magic Fountain at Montjuic,” he writes. “Other portions of class were focused on editing photos and critiquing each other’s work.”
France:
School of Communication senior Leah Brown attended Cannes Lions Festival, one of the largest annual advertising and media gatherings held for the industry. “This is not your typical class offered by just any school,” she writes. “You do not spend any time in a classroom. You are constantly on the move networking with anybody and everybody along the way while hurrying to your next talk.”
Japan:
Discovering a calling in Japan
University of Miami student Kayla Crews has always been fascinated with Japan and its culture. Participating in study abroad there gave her an authentic experience. “Going to Japan has definitely changed my life,” she writes. “It’s confirmed to me that studying Japanese language and culture is something I want and need to keep pursuing.”
Learning the art of filmmaking in Japan
San Diego native Talia Mereles studied motion picture production for three weeks with eight film students as part of a UM faculty-led study abroad program. “Our program has already come out with horror shorts, news packages, and a litany of narrative films,” she wrote. “There are two days of shooting and one day to bunker down and put your piece together. This process continues throughout the entire adventure.”
Solomon Islands:
Studying the biodiversity of the Solomon Islands
Junior Peter Aronson spent three weeks completing an immersive field research course in the South Pacific Ocean. “We stayed on Makira Island,” he writes, “nestled among the eastern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Each night, we slept in a lodge made entirely of bamboo, palm, and other local trees.”
Jamaica:
Opening pop-up health clinics in Jamaica
After switching careers from film to nursing, School of Nursing and Health Studies student Andrea Leiner goes ‘off the grid’ in Jamaica and strengthens her passion. “Each morning,” she writes, “we hopped on the bus around 6 a.m. and drove two to three hours to a different rural location in the mountains to open a pop-up clinic in a town that the Ministry of Health identified.”
Guatemala:
School of Nursing aids military medical effort
Nurse practitioner students deployed with U.S. Army humanitarian assistance program to provide needed health care services in Guatemala. The SONHS crew took part in the MEDRETE, or medical readiness training exercise, from June 24 to 27 at the Tojocaz Community Center, in the municipality of Huehuetenango.
For more information about these study abroad programs and many others, visit UM’s Study Abroad website or attend an information session this fall.
