Two Mississippi University for Women faculty members will lead a group of students to spend a month traveling and studying in Ireland in the summer of 2014. Based primarily in Dublin and Galway, students will take two three-credit courses for academic credit in history and English while exploring the country. This trip is open to all W and other regional university students in good academic standing. It is also open to alumni or community members who would like to join the trip and enroll in the courses as auditors.
Sending young people abroad to learn about other cultures has a long history and is a meaningful way to encourage students to broaden horizons and develop a stronger appreciation for the world around them. Dr. Nora Corrigan, assistant professor of English at MUW, notes this practice dates as far back as the Renaissance and is still valuable today.
“Spending time abroad changes students’ perspective on their place in the world as Americans, challenges their assumptions, and expands their sense of what is possible,” said Corrigan. She has fond memories of her own study abroad experience as an undergraduate in Spain and looks forward to introducing W students to Europe, in turn.
Dr. Amber Handy, assistant professor of history, also believes the study abroad experience can be an important step toward self-sufficiency and identity.
“Living abroad can give you a great sense of independence and the confidence to move freely through the world. While we will be there to guide our students through what will for many of them be their first trip to Europe, we hope that it will give them a taste for travel and be the first of many future trips abroad,” Handy said.
Having studied extensively in Ireland, Handy also pointed out that Ireland is a particularly welcoming country for a trip of this sort. While there is no language barrier for Americans, it is still a distinct culture with a unique history, literary heritage, and world view that students will have the opportunity to learn about while living and walking in the footsteps of those who came before them.
Course study
While in Ireland, Dr. Corrigan will teach “Finding Ireland: Politics, Culture and Identity.” This course will explore Irish writers’ use of language, literature and culture to fashion and debate national identity, focusing primarily on the Irish Literary Revival movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Along with reading authors including Lady Gregory, J. M. Synge, W. B. Yeats and James Joyce, this course will include excursions to the Aran Islands, a Gaeltacht where students can experience Irish as a living language, and if possible to a performance of one of the plays which will be read for the class.
Dr. Handy will teach a course entitled “Ireland in the Dark Ages.” Focused on the history, archaeology and literature of Ireland from its prehistory through the 12th century, students in this course will endeavor to answer the question of whether or not early Irish society truly deserves the title of a “Dark Age.” This course will involve excursions to archaeological sites including Newgrange and trips to the National Museum of Ireland and Trinity College Library.
Join the adventure
Drs. Handy and Corrigan particularly would like to welcome community members to join the trip. Travel dates are May 28 through June 29, 2014. Cost for the entire trip, including air fare, all lodging, ground transportation in Ireland, travel insurance, tuition fees, excursion and entrance fees, an international student identity card and a final farewell dinner is $5,000.
To allow for timely reservations to be made, payment is due in installments, the first of which is due by Jan. 21, 2014. To learn more about this program, contact the W’s Study Abroad Program office, 662-241-6850, or contact Dr. Handy at [email protected], or Dr. Corrigan at [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.