Overview
Why study abroad in Spain and Ireland?
As Europe battles internal tensions in a new geopolitical context characterized by contested borders and rearranging alliances, the question about the future of Europe and the European Union is relevant and urgent. This program revisits Europe’s founding ideals of liberty, inclusion, and social justice within the context of rising independence movements, as well as xenophobic policies against immigrants, refugees, and minority groups, engaging questions around competing visions of what constitutes the Union.
Spain and Ireland are ideal sites to interrogate the inclusive potential of the nation-state, the promise of economic prosperity in consolidating EU integration, and the capacity of democratic participation in carving a space for Europe’s refugees and minority groups. Through an interdisciplinary approach, you will better understand processes that have produced profound changes in Spain, Ireland, and Europe’s social, political, cultural, and economic structures.
The Basque region, Catalonia, and Ireland provide excellent case studies for an understanding of the underlying dynamics between EU members and national minorities and post-conflict societies. Bilbao, the most populated city of Basque country, is a dynamic program base from which to explore movements for political autonomy in Spain and beyond. UNESCO named Bilbao a “City of Design” because of its unique architecture, food, and cultural institutions, including the famed Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Highlights
- Spend two weeks in Ireland learning about the effects of Brexit.
- Examine historical roots of ethnic, regional, and national conflict in Spain and other European nations.
- Travel to Barcelona, Girona, and the French Basque region.
- Learn about geopolitical tensions in the European Union
- Study Spanish at the University of Deusto's International Spanish Center.
Prerequisites
Previous college-level coursework or background in policy studies, European studies, international studies, political science, sociology, anthropology or pre-law studies, as assessed by SIT.