The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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I can't tell you what a relief it was to make it through this week! Midterm exams + papers + work = one rough week! But none of that matters now, because it is the best time of year here at Franklin! Academic Travel time!!! For this semester's academic travel I am enrolled in a course which focuses on the recent history of the former Yugoslavia. Our travel group will be immersed in learning about the dramatic events of the 20th century that led to the formation of the Yugoslav state, to its tribulations during World War II, its relative stability during the period of the Cold War and its violent collapse in the 1990's.  The Civil War in Yugoslavia and its effects will be a main theme in meetings and discussions about the successor states and their problems today.  Economic problems, political problems and questions of law and order (such as the prosecution of those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Civil War). Beyond visiting the classic sights; we will be meeting with people who have first hand insight on relevant topics such as: nationalism and ethnic conflict in Europe, international relations, international organizations, dynamics of European integration, international economics, etc. Meeting with an economics professor in Croatia, the deputy mayor in Sarajevo, Bosnia and a diplomat at the OSCEs (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission to Serbia, just to name a few! 

 As an International Relations major this travel is perfect for me! I, personally, am most excited to see the site where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated (which began World War I in 1914), the former royal palace in Montenegro  and the walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia (a UNESCO World Heritage site)!


In the next twelve days I will be traveling to five countries and eight cities! So it will be a whirlwind, but also an adventure! I hope to post at least once or twice during travel (wifi permitting) so stay tuned for more updates! And in the mean time feel free to follow @franklinswitzerland and/or @jessicaoglesby on Instagram for some "real time" photo updates, plus you can check out the travel maps I created below. AND if that isn't enough to sate your interest you can click here for more info on all the other Academic Travels happening right now! 

 As always, thanks for reading! And to all my fellow Franklin students, buon viaggio! Happy Travels!



Comments

  1. zenwannabe1October 16, 2013 at 11:22 AM

    Thanks for making the map! It's a very useful visual. I believe that most people are not too familiar with the layout or the history of the area. Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete

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