Global College Study Abroad Program in Durban, South Africa

Name: Global College Study Abroad Program in Durban, South Africa
Brand: LIU Global
SKU: 15449
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

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Location

South Africa
- Durban

Term

Fall, Spring

Subject Areas

African Studies Cultural Studies Economics History International Relations Political Science

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Language

English

Pricing

Starting Price

10000

Last Updated: Jan 09, 2019

Last Reviewed: Nov 01, 2011

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About Program

Study abroad with Long Island University at the Global College South Africa Center. Located on the coastal city of Durban, the beaches leading out to the Indian Ocean are just steps away. Durban is home to the largest group of Indians outside of India, and where Mahatma Gandhi originally developed the notion of passive resistance.

Study various courses like South African Studies, Peace & Reconciliation, or Zulu Language (isiZulu), or opt to participate in a guided independent field study, where you will work with organizations and agencies to promote well-being. Sign up today with Long Island University and go study in South Africa!

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from LIU Global.

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Study Abroad with Global College in Durban

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My name is Carly, and this is my third year with the program. I have studied in Costa Rica and South Africa, where I currently am. I am really interested in the arts, and creative processes, and their ability to transform communities of people through social action outlets. Backing up a bit, when I was around eight, I found this series of black and white prints that my Mom had shot, while studying at Evergreen, of homeless people in Pioneer Square, Seattle. (Where I grew up) I remember just sitting with them in our damp unfinished basement, marveling in the ability they allowed me to just stare in wonder at their subjects, people who I had never felt as comfortable looking at or studying before.

I come from a family of artists, and my youth has been partially filled with the search for ways in which I can satiate my creative energy while contributing to my global community, more than just aesthetically. Photography has been my ends to this search for the past three years.

Dorothea Lange, a famous photographer who caught many famous images from America's great depression said: "The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." This is a quote that I am diving into my project this semester with. I have dabbled in documenting, portrait, and commercial shooting, but what I really think is going to change the world around is not an exclusive group of elite photographers, but a population of people who have been taught to see by exploring their world with a camera.

This semester I will be teaching a black and white photography course to high school students from a poorer Durban school and a richer one together. We will be working from a self explorative curriculum with the idea that photography and education can together be a means to combat the misunderstanding that is bred by gentrification.

I will also be working to implement a weekend arts education program to marginalized youth from poorer townships and informal settlements around Durban. I am working with an organization called Ikamva Youth, out of Durban, that tutors these high schoolers one to three times a week, to help them pass their final 'senior or metric' exams. Every Saturday I meet with the kids, sometimes with a guest speaker from the Durban arts community, and present a new way to exercise our right brains.

Lastly, I will also be working with the Durban branch of the Right2Know campaign. I am currently in the process of organizing an interactive and traveling photo booth/exhibition with them, that will encourage younger participants to join the fight against the secrecy bill that is currently being passed though legislation.

So there is my semester in a nutshell. Global College is a unique program with a ton of independence for the dedicated self-educator, and I would recommend the program to any self disciplined learner with a desire for global citizenry.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you study abroad with the LIU Global College in Durban, South Africa?

Initially, I decided to study abroad in South Africa because I had become quite attached to Mother Ocean herself. I had gotten hooked on surfing while conducting an independent study project on spiritual surfing in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica over my freshman year in LIU Global. While the warm Indian Ocean pulled my heart towards South Africa for my first semester of junior year, I was again pulled back by both my heart and mind for another semester during my senior year.

South Africa is an incredibly diverse country, with over eleven official languages it is easy to understand why Nelson Mandela labeled it the ‘Rainbow Nation’. The richest area of academic interest I ended up fully pursuing during my time spent in Durban were studies on South Africa’s vibrant civil society. With South Africa being a relatively young democracy its people still remember the necessity and strength of an active social structure within the government.

The country itself is known for exhibiting the most social protest per year with a number count reaching over 10,000 events and actions. What inherently comes with such societal vibrancy in reacting to government action is a constant dialogue between the South African people ranging from issues of privatization to racism. There is no doubt in my mind that any student traveling to South Africa will falter within this country of diversity, dialogue, and development.

What made your study abroad experience unique and special?

What made the culmination of all my projects and studies in South Africa unique and special were South African people themselves. The first thing I noticed when getting into the country was the increased level of humanism I felt around me as people welcomed me with open arms, regardless of my past, my country's past, or my plans for the future. I don’t think I was asked once what I planned to do after college, this was a huge reversal of what I regarded as normal human interaction. It seemed everyone was interested in who I was and not what I did; there is a difference.

Recently, in one of my lectures at LIU Global’s Brooklyn campus, we discussed the idea of two contrasting cultural models: being and doing. America is very much a doing culture, where successes and failures directly correlate to achievements. South Africa, and specifically Durban came off to me as a being culture, where success and failure is less noted than happiness and contentment. I am still delving into these ideas, but I would encourage every traveling student to consider them while abroad in South Africa or anywhere else on our globe.

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How has this experience impacted your future? (personally, professionally, academically, etc.)

Travel always affects me in personal, professional, and academic ways. In reality, I think when you travel all three separate terms become one in a melting pot of experiential learning. The great thing about traveling abroad to new countries, places and spaces is that for the most part you have no clue what you are getting into. Putting oneself in these positions of the unknown tends to force one to get to know oneself more intimately, which enriches all three of the above fields: personal, professional, and academic at the same time.

In relation to South Africa, if I had to simplify all my learning into a top three list, I would say these lessons are ones I will never relinquish: always be honest with yourself about what you need, and do not silence yourself from requesting it or going for it, being happy and content with your life is the most revolutionary thing you will ever do, and additionally time is never wasted your mind only tells you it is. I wish all the best to any student who plans to pursue travel in South Africa or various other regions outside of their home.

About LIU Global

LIU Global is the only university that will take students on a four year educational journey around the world. LIU global combines classroom instruction, field study, and professional internships with full time immersion in countries and cultures on at least five continents. Throughout these international experiences, students develop a set of...