Swarthmore has undertaken special arrangements, on behalf of its students, with a number of programs
or universities in the following countries:
Universidad de la Frontera (Temuco, Chile)
ISLE program
Swedish Program
Hamilton College Program in Madrid, Spain
University of Bristol, England
University College, Cork (UCC), Ireland
Globalization & Natural Environment: South Africa
Universidad de la Frontera (Temuco, Chile. Click to visit)
Under the provisions of a collaborative arrangement, Swarthmore students may enroll directly in the University, take University courses, and - especially - do an independent project or an internship with Chile's principal indigenous group, the Mapuche, whose traditional homelands are adjacent to Temuco. Students live with families in Temuco. Fluency, or close to it, in Spanish is required. For further information contact Professors Braulio Munoz or Steve Piker, Sociology & Anthropology. See web site.
Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Educational Program (ISLE. Click to visit)
Based in the ancient capital of Kandy, the ISLE Program draws its faculty from the University of Peradeniya. This superb program provides an introduction to Sri Lanka’s ancient and colonial history, as well as its post-colonial struggles for democracy and nationhood. Theravada Buddhism in its traditional and modernizing variants is a special focus. Students observe (and, if they wish, take part in) Buddhists’ practices and rituals, as well as those of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. In the classroom and in their homestays, students witness how globalization and modernization are reshaping village and urban social life, gender relations and family life, and class and caste relations. There are two study tours: one focused on ancient monuments and archaeological sites; the other on the ecology and sociology of the highland plantations, rain forests, and tropical coast. Swarthmore is a member of the consortium of selective schools that sponsors and operates the ISLE program, and a number of Swarthmore faculty members have been resident directors of the program. For further information contact Professors Steven Hopkins, Religion; Jeanne Marecek, Psychology; or Steve Piker.
(Click here to visit ISLE web site)
Swedish Program (Click to visit)
Swarthmore is a member of a consortium of selective colleges and universities, which sponsors the Swedish program. Based at the University of Stockholm, from which faculty members are drawn, this outstanding program introduces students to the distinctive and innovative democracies of Scandinavia, and emphasizes especially government and public policy, gender studies, film, and the arts. Students may live in University dorms or with Swedish families, and have easy access to the lavish and superb cultural life of Stockholm (where the climate is very much like Boston). For further information, please see Professor Steve Piker.
Hamilton College in Madrid, Spain (Click to visit)
Students are encouraged to participate in the Hamilton Program in Madrid, which has had a long working relationship with Swarthmore. Hamilton in Madrid offers work across the social sciences and humanities, as well as internship possibilities. Instruction is in Spanish, and students live with Spanish families. Extensive travel in Spain is part of the program. For further information, please see Professor Maria-Luisa Guardiola, Modern Languages. (Click here to visit Hamilton web site)
The University of Bristol, England (Click to visit)
The University of Bristol, located in a lively, cultured city with a thriving student scene,
is one of the top-rated universities in Great Britain. Strong in the natural sciences, (including premed),
social sciences, and humanities, the University features a 'dissertation' program for upper class
students in which Swarthmore students may participate. This will involve working on an
independent research project under the tutorial supervision of a University of Bristol
faculty member, and participating in a small informal discussion group of Bristol
students working on related topics. Outstanding opportunities for individualized work
are available to Swarthmore students at Bristol. Convenient train connections to London
and the rest of Great Britain. For further information, please see Professor Steve Piker.
University College, Cork (UCC), Ireland (Click to visit)
Located on the scenic and historic small Western Irish city of Cork, UCC is one
of the most distinguished universities of Ireland, with an understanding faculty. By
special arrangement with UCC, Swarthmore students may- with UCC's approval- work
directly with individual members of the UCC faculty on research or internship projects.
These possibilities obtain with the Irish Center for Migration Studies, the International
Famine Center, Public Policy, and Gender Studies, as well as a number of other academic
fields. Cork is a cultured, lovely, lively, and completely walkable small city. Students
normally live in apartments, a few minutes walk from the university. Convenient train
connections to Dublin and the rest of Ireland. For further information, please see Professor Steve Piker.
Globalization and Natural Environment, South Africa (Click to visit)
Macalester, Pomona, and Swarthmore Colleges have collaborated in the development of this program. The program, based at the University of Cape Town,
features a transdisciplinary core seminar (globalization and the natural environment),
courses taught by the distinguished UCT faculty, and opportunities for independent study.
Students will live at the University of Cape Town, and there will be extensive opportunity
for association with South Africans. The magnificent cultural and natural environment of Cape
Town and its hinterlands provides the program's setting. For further information, please see
Professor Carr Everbach, Engineering.