Location

Vienna, Graz, Split, Sarajevo, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Program Description

Identity and Conflict in Austria, Croatia, and Bosnia explores the ways in which a person’s sense of belonging to a group or connection to a place impacts the ways that they act politically. To do this, we will examine the roots of ethnicity, nationality and citizenship as well as the variety of ways that people experience belonging to a group and act upon that feeling of belonging. These goals are pursued in two courses across four cities: Vienna, Graz, Split, and Sarajevo. The first course examines in a broad way a variety of issues related to cultural, political and geographic groupings in the context of the former Austro-Hungarian realm. The second course focuses on the contemporary politics of Southeastern Europe with a focus on the politics of EU expansion and the impact of the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia.

The program is in two phases. The first phase will combine classroom instruction with guided and unguided exploration of Vienna and Graz. There will be an opportunity on one weekend to travel independently. The second phase will be a two-week study trip to Croatia, and Bosnia. In addition to enjoying their beautiful coasts and mountains, students will have a chance to see firsthand the challenges of rebuilding torn countries.

Location Description

The course begins in Vienna, a multicultural city at the center of a broad empire. Vienna’s place in the empire made it one of the most important cities in Europe, and it continues to be a connecting point among East, West and South. The majority of the course takes place in Graz, the “Green Heart of Austria”, which lies on the border between the German and Slavic portions of the old empire and continues to be a cultural, economic and political link between Central Europe and Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia to the south. Graz is the second-largest city in Austria and is home to six universities totaling more than 40 thousand students. It is situated between the Alps and the rolling hills of the wine country that borders Slovenia.

Finally, we will take a two-week bus excursion into the former-Yugoslavia, first to the coastal city of Split, with its Roman, Italian and Croatian roots as well as gorgeous coastline, and then to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The two cities draw their beauty from centuries of cultural exchange, although their presence on the boundary between empires and states has also brought great tragedy and suffering.

Director

John Hulsey | hulseyjw@jmu.edu | Political Science

Accommodations

Accommodation will be in hotels and hostels. All have ready internet access and have breakfast included. The hotels and hostels in Vienna, Graz and Sarajevo are centrally located. The hostel in Split is in a residential neighborhood near the city's largest mall.

Breakfast is provided by the hotels and paid for by the program. In addition, each student will receive a meal stipend of 15 Euros per day to cover the costs of lunch and dinner. Most students spend more than the 15 Euro allotment, particularly in Austria.

Additional Items to Consider

U.S. citizens do not need an additional visa in order to participate on the trip.

COVID-19 Location Information:

Each country has different requirements upon entry with regard to COVID-19. Please check this website for the most up-to-date information on what is required for the country (or countries) that are part of this program. Please note that this changes often, so we encourage you to check back frequently.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

No foreign language knowledge is necessary

No course pre-requisites

All majors may participate 

Sophomore, Junior, Senior