The Consortium on Forced Migration, Displacement and Education (Vassar, Bennington, Sarah Lawrence, and Bard) has created a range of opportunities for students who are studying in the migration track to pursue intensive and immersive learning experiences around the world.
STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES / SUMMER RESEARCH INTENSIVE PROGRAMS
Bard College Berlin’s Migration Perspectives Semester
As an arrival city, post-migrant metropolis, and home to prominent research and activist institutions,
Berlin is the perfect place to study the complexities of migration. Faculty with expertise in both
European and Middle Eastern studies offer experimental and civically engaged courses that
encourage work directly in the city and move beyond traditional knowledge formats to include
creative and collaborative products by students. The Migration Perspectives program is committed to
practice-based learning and offers students the opportunity to pursue internships in the field of
migration, refugee support, and human rights. Students will also benefit from Bard College’s Berlin
strong civic engagement projects, including a public program of events and workshops, and from
learning jointly with its diverse student body, 10% of whom are displaced students. For full program details, and for information on how to apply, please read more here.
Study Abroad in Malaysia: Ethnography of Migrant Life in the City
As a signature project of CFDME, the Malaysia program offers undergraduate students from across Consortium colleges to visit and learn about issues and challenges facing marginalized and displaced communities outside of a Western context. An estimated 150,000 Rohingya refugees live in Malaysia. Malaysia is also a major destination country for migrant workers from Indonesia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam and Bangladesh. The unofficial count of undocumented workers and displaced peoples ranges from around 200,000 to 300,000.
Students will learn directly from local organizers, experts and the communities about the experiences of migrants, refugees and statelessness in this region. As a major destination and hub for transnational migration, Malaysia attracts a wide-range of people from across socio-economic, national and ethnic backgrounds – from international students from Nigeria to refugees from Burma. In particular, students will gain a better understanding of non-traditional destinations outside of the North American and Western European context and see how different experiences are shaped in the context of one of Asia’s ‘global cities’. Students will be visiting sites that have served as important centers for migrant life over the last two decades. Full program details available here: CFMDE Summer 2019 Malaysia
Study Abroad in Bern Switzerland: Mental Health, Emergency Medicine, and Global Resilience
As a signature project of CFDME, the Bern, Switzerland program offers undergraduate students from across Consortium colleges to visit and learn about issues and challenges facing asylum seekers and other displaced communities in Switzerland. Over the past few years, there has been a rapid spike in the numbers of individuals who have fled to social, political, and environmental crises to Europe, including Switzerland. Switzerland is fourth in the number of refugees they accept per capita and individuals seeking asylum currently are from Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Somalia. Additionally, a growing number of migrant workers from Central and South America, such as Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, have been seeking economic opportunities in Switzerland.
This intensive 4-week summer semester in Bern, Switzerland will be administered by Sarah Lawrence College under the direction of Dr. Adam Brown, professor of Psychology at Sarah Lawrence College and the New School for Social Research. Students will learn directly from local experts and the communities about the experiences of migrants and refugees. This will include meetings and workshops with medical experts, policy makers, and social entrepreneurs. Additionally, students will have opportunities to meet with refugees involved in these organizations and to hear about their experiences interfacing with the healthcare system. Full program details available here: CFMDE Summer 2019 Bern, Switzerland
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