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2000 Study Abroad in Poland

In 2000, Swarthmore established two first-of-their-kind study-abroad programs in Poland. One gives dance and theater students the opportunity to earn credit for working with the Silesian Dance Theater in Bytom; in the other, engineering and environmental studies students can pursue environmental studies at the Technical University of Cracow.

The study-abroad program with the Silesian Dance Theater grew from of the company's weeklong residence at Swarthmore in February 1999. Founded and directed by Jacek Luminski, the troupe has won critical acclaim in America for an original style that reflects Luminski's training in both ballet and modern dance. The program, which includes weekly tutorials at the nearby Jagiellonian University of Cracow, enables students to experience a professional-level internship. Students also participate in the International Dance Conference and Performance Festival, which Silesian Dance Theater hosts each summer in Bytom.

In the environmental studies program, Swarthmore students enroll in a curriculum taught in English. Included in their work is a required course on environmental science and technology in Poland, with lectures by prominent Polish researchers and environmentalists and field trips to sites in Poland and the Czech Republic. Elective courses in such areas as water-supply engineering, ecological engineering, and sustainable development are also offered.