Location

Geneva, Bucharest, Rome, Palermo, Switzerland, Romania, Italy

Program Description

This program will immerse students in the global humanitarian system, from the birthplace of the modern humanitarian movement in Geneva, to migration hotspots in southern and eastern Europe where humanitarian actors are assisting refugees fleeing war, political persecution, and natural disasters. Co-led by a JMU faculty member and a former UNICEF official, the program will explore the legal and political foundations of the international humanitarian system, as well as the complex challenges and rewards of applied humanitarian action on the European continent.

Among the highlights of the program, students will meet with government officials and international aid representatives in Geneva, Bucharest and Rome; visit humanitarian field sites and migrant aid centers in Italy and Romania; and attend lectures with leading scholars and aid practitioners. Along the way, we will explore local foods, experience new cultural traditions, and enjoy excursions to some of the most beautiful and dynamic destinations in Europe—from the Swiss alps, to the forests of Transylvania, to the Mediterranean coast of Italy.

Academically, our program will focus on the themes of global migration and humanitarian aid. Students will complete two three-credit classes in Justice Studies (JUST 301: The Global Humanitarian System and JUST 301: Migration and Refugee Protection in Europe). In preparation for our trip, students will participate in a series of pre-departure meetings in the spring semester, which will include some preliminary coursework as well as practical orientation information. While abroad, most days will include a mix of site visits, guest lectures, and group discussions connecting our travel experiences to key concepts and themes in the courses. Wherever possible, the program will integrate opportunities for experiential learning and critical reflection related to the course content.

Location Description

The program will begin in Switzerland, where our home base will be Geneva, the birthplace of the international Red Cross movement and the epicenter of the modern humanitarian system. We will visit the headquarters of some of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). We will take advantage of Geneva’s unique museums and historical sites to learn about the history of the global humanitarian system and hear directly from academic experts, UN officials, and humanitarian professionals about current and future trends in the field. While in Switzerland, we will also enjoy a series of immersive cultural experiences, including a boat tour of Lake Geneva and an overnight excursion to Montreux and the famous alpine cheesemaking region of Gruyères.

We then travel to Romania, on the eastern edge of the European Union, where we will learn about the local humanitarian response to the war in neighboring Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 2.4 million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Romania, making it one of the most important refugee transit countries in Europe. We begin in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, meeting with local experts, government officials, and international humanitarian representatives to understand the dynamics of Romania’s unusually welcoming response to Ukrainian refugees. We then journey to Brasov, a picturesque city nestled in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains, where government officials cooperated with local nonprofits and international humanitarian agencies to build an acclaimed refugee integration center. We conclude our time in Romania with a visit to Cluj-Napoca, a vibrant university town in the heart of Transylvania, where we will engage with students at Babes-Bolyai University (UBB), Romania’s oldest and most prestigious university, and enjoy lectures from scholars at UBB’s Center for Comparative Migration Studies. During our time in Romania, we will take a number of cultural excursions, including a walking tour of Old Town Bucharest, a visit to Bran Castle (a.k.a. “Dracula’s castle”), and a day trip to the exquisitely preserved medieval Saxon city of Sibiu.

Our final destination is Italy, where we will explore the complex dynamics of migration and humanitarian assistance along Europe’s Mediterranean coast. We begin in Rome, home to major humanitarian organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as a significant share of Italy’s large and diverse migrant population. Our time in Rome will include meetings with UN officials at WFP and FAO, a visit to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, and lectures from local experts about Italy’s complex history as both a migration destination and country of origin. We will also explore multicultural neighborhoods like Pigneto and Esquilino, and students will have time for optional visits to iconic sites like Vatican City, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum.

We then head to the southern Italian region of Sicily, where our home base will be the Sicilian capital of Palermo, Italy’s most ethnically diverse city. In Palermo, we will learn from local experts about the rapid growth of the city’s migrant population, meet with local humanitarian NGOs, and explore the famous Ballar market. We will also travel by high-speed ferry to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, the southernmost point in Italy and an important migrant gateway. In Lampedusa, we will explore the impact of mass migration on the island’s culture and economy, and learn about humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

Director

Daniel Beers | beersdj@jmu.edu | Justice Studies

Everett Ressler | eressler@hdpi.org | Humanitarian Development Partnerships International

Accommodations

Accommodation will vary from location to location. Generally speaking, students will stay in hotels, guest houses and youth hostels with shared rooms.

Breakfast will typically be provided by the accommodations and paid for by the program. A few shared group dinners will also be provided as part of the program fee. In addition, each student will receive a meal stipend of 20 Euros per day to cover the cost of lunch and dinner. Most students will spend more than the 20 Euro allotment, especially in Geneva and Rome.

Additional Items to Consider

Switzerland, Italy and Romania are all part of the EU’s Schengen Area. U.S. citizens can enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days.

In preparation for our trip, students will participate in a series of pre-departure meetings in the spring semester, which will include some preliminary coursework as well as practical orientation information.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0.

Open to all class levels and majors, including graduate students.

Application Process

This list serves as an application preview. To apply, students will need to complete the following:

• Study Abroad Online Application ($40 fee)
• Short Essay
• Interview with program director required
• Attendance at program information session required
• Official transcript required for non-JMU students; unofficial transcript required for JMU students

Further details and instructions about these application requirements will be available upon log-in.