The Ohio State Department of Sociology proudly offers two unique study abroad programs that combine the study of sociology with cultural immersion. Learn more about these programs below:
Study Abroad in Poland
Since 2008, the Department of Sociology has partnered with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Warsaw, to offer the Study Abroad Program in Poland (CONSIRT.osu.edu), a unique academic training program focused on quantitative methods, independent research and cultural experiences in the heart of Europe. Field trips include the Warsaw Ghetto and Auschwitz, Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, the Museum of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and the Oscar Schindler Factory Museum.
Ohio State alumna Irina Tomescu-Dubrow, associate professor, and Joshua Dubrow, professor, at PAN, along with Kazimierz Slomczynski, Ohio State sociology professor emeritus, are the program’s core faculty.
"The Warsaw Summer school was an incredible opportunity and has given me valuable research skills, research experience, and of course new friendships and connections. It has cemented my plans for graduate school and taught me the necessary research skills." - testimonial from past student participant
For more information about the Study Abroad Program in Poland, visit the program’s website, https://warsawsummerschool.wordpress.com/ or contact Professor Slomczynski, at Slomczynski.1@osu.edu.
Ohio State students at Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, July 2018
Rwanda Study Abroad
Assistant Professor Hollie Nyseth Brehm established Ohio State’s Genocide and its Aftermath in Rwanda study abroad program to immerse students in the historical context and repercussions of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The program — now in its second year — introduces students to the causes of genocide, how genocides unfold, and how countries rebuild in the aftermath of violence. Students spend a week with homestay families and attend lectures at the School for International Training (SIT) headquarters in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda). They learn about Rwandan culture and spend a day at the national university in an exchange with local university students. They travel to genocide memorials, museums, Rwandan government offices, survivor organizations and women’s cooperatives, among others. Finally, they are witness to the testimonies from people who were rescued during the genocide, those who participated in the violence and those who survived.This course meets three times prior to departing to Rwanda, though the majority of the time will be spent in Rwanda. The group will meet one time several weeks after the group returns from Rwanda in order to debrief, reflect and discuss how to share insights with others.
"Coming to Rwanda and fully entrenching myself into its history and culture has shown me a new dimension to what it means to be open, especially with my education. I hope that I can carry on all the lessons I’ve learned to build a future where we can be just a little bit better than we were yesterday." - past student participant testimonial
For more information on the Genocide and its Aftermath in Rwanda study abroad program contact Professor Hollie Nyseth Brehm at brehm.84@osu.edu.
Hollie Nyseth Nzitatira with Ohio State students at the main genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, June 2018
Visit the Ohio State Office of International Affairs for more information about other study abroad program offerings.