Pitt starts Panther Programs in Ghana, China and Ecuador

It’s not a small world, and Pitt’s Study Abroad Office wants students to know that.

The… It’s not a small world, and Pitt’s Study Abroad Office wants students to know that.

The Study Abroad Office has introduced three new Panther Programs in Ghana, Ecuador and China. Pitt in Ghana is set to run in the spring, while Pitt in China and Pitt in Ecuador are scheduled to start in the summer.

“We are very, very proud of the new programs that we are launching this year,” Jeff Whitehead, the director of the Study Abroad Office, said in an email. “These programs are the result of many months, and in some cases, years of development work from inspired faculty directors and staff in the University Center for International Studies.”

Pitt in Ghana made it to the forefront of potential study abroad programs after Joseph Adjaye, faculty emeritus of African Studies, proposed the idea.

The Ghana native has directed numerous study abroad programs over the past 25 years, and this spring he will be the program’s director and the only Pitt professor to join the University of Ghana faculty in this program.

Offered only in the spring, this will be the first semester-long Panther Program in Africa. Students who make the trip will study at the University of Ghana, which Whitehead said is “one of the premier, comprehensive institutions of higher learning in Africa.” In collaboration with various academic departments at Pitt, the program offers courses in Africana studies, history, anthropology, political science and music.

Students will live in the International Students’ Hostel on campus, eating at canteens and restaurants provided by the University for the students and staff.

Adjaye said that the faculty, along with the experiential learning that the students will encounter, allows for a comprehensive cultural experience. Each academic course is paired with a field trip to a historical site.

“For example, the study of European slavery in Africa will be reinforced by a field trip to one of the slave dungeons… and a lesson on African systems of government will be enhanced by direct observance of Parliament in session or a local chief holding court,” Adjaye said.

Adjaye encourages enrollment into the new Panther Program in part because the overall cost is reasonable for college students. In-state students will pay $9,200, while out-of-state students will pay $13,018.

Adjaye said that the cost difference between a semester at Pitt and the University of Ghana allows the regular Pitt tuition to cover tuition, airfare and hostel accommodation in Ghana.

With the boundless opportunities that students can experience, Adjaye finds it unfortunate that enrollment has been low so far.

“I am anxious that we do get a good number to assure continuation in subsequent years,” Adjaye said.

Whitehead said only three or four students have officially signed on for the Spring 2012 session. Although the deadline has passed, students are still encouraged to apply in the next week.

If Pitt students have already decided on their spring schedule, they still have the option of hopping on a plane to Napo, Ecuador for a month or two during the months of June and July .

Students may enroll in a variety of courses focusing on Amazonian society and the environment through the Andes and Amazon Field School, a private institution founded in 1999, according to the AAFS website.

Courses and field research will be conducted by both local instructors and Pitt faculty.

Pitt-Greensburg professor Tim Savisky will be teaching Global Ecology during the July session.

“We will learn about environmental issues, as well as the issues facing the tropical rainforest community right there in Ecuador,” Savisky said.

Savisky also said that Ecuador is rich in oil and cacao, so students will have the opportunity to observe the pros and cons of each industry through excursions throughout the country.

Students will live on the grounds of the Andes Amazon Field School with three meals per day provided in a riverside dining room.

A single session costs $3,500, but if students prefer to stay for both June and July, the entire program will be $6,500. Program fees include tuition for six to nine credits, day trips, airport transfers, housing and health insurance.

Students also have the option of studying in Beijing over the summer through Pitt in China. Whitehead said that this is a great opportunity for students interested in the country, the Chinese language or gender studies.

The total cost for in-state students is $4,800 and $6,708 for out-of-state students for the summer session.

Frayda Cohen, a professor in the women’s studies program, said she is very excited to be the faculty director for the program this summer. Cohen has visited and lived off and on in China for several years.

“I would encourage students to travel to understand the challenges China still faces, as well as to understand the truly amazing progress that they have made in developing their infrastructure and technology,” Cohen said.

Panther participants will reside in the international students dormitory at Capital Normal University, a full-service institution that hosts both Chinese and international students.

Students may complete coursework on Chinese language, China’s political economy, or two of Cohen’s classes, entitled Sex, Race and Popular Culture and The Politics of Gender and Food.

“It’s exciting and often overwhelming to be in a place that seems as different from the United States as China sometimes does,” Cohen said. “That said, one thing students often eventually discover is that we really are a lot alike.”