European Cultural Studies

  Belgium

• Brussels: 
Brussels

  France

• Paris: 
Paris

Term: Summer 
Dates: May 30 - June 25, 2009

Description: Overview
The European Cultural Studies Program offers a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary study tour of discovery, set to explore the determining events, movements, and extraordinary people that have shaped European culture and society. Part one of the Summer 2009 program will focus on the world of art during the era of European empire-building and warfare from the early 19th century to the present. Part two will focus on the medieval pilgrimage route crossing southern France and Spainthe Camino de Santiago or The Way of St. Jameswhich played a fundamental role in the cultural exchange between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.

Academic Program
All students enroll in two 3-credit hour courses. Each course includes readings, lectures, written assignments, students experiences in each city, and a research paper to be handed in post-USA return in mid-August.

EURS 511/ HNRS 492 /HA 305 or 505
Who Owns Art? Issues of Theft and Cultural Patrimony, 1816-present (3 credit hours)
Art theft as a consequence of exploration, colonization, and warfare has a long history in Europe and has resulted in a myriad of ethical dilemmas for the contemporary museum world. This course will provide students with an introduction to European and African art, while also examining the significant role works of art played in the political arenas of Belgiums colonial occupation of the Congo and the Nazi rise to power in Germany during World War II. Topics include: the development of international law for the protection of art and other aspects of cultural heritage, agencies engaged in the recovery of stolen works of art, and how art functions in the development of national identities. Students will experience first-hand masterpieces of classical antiquity, gothic cathedrals and the work of European artists from the 15th-20th centuries, including Brueghel, Rubens, Vigée-Lebrun , Delacroix, Picasso, Kirchner, and Kandinsky, and African art found in the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren. Students may take the course for European Studies, Honors or Art History credit.

EURS 511/SPAN 370 or 470*/HWC 500
European Cultural Exchange along the Pilgrims Route to Santiago (3 credit hours)
During the Middle Ages, the pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago played a fundamental role in the cultural exchange between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. It has since then taken an endless flow of travelers from all over the world to the historic city of Santiago de Compostela, where the shrine of the apostle Santiago (St. James) can be found. As a leading European cultural itinerary, the route obtained UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1993 due to its extraordinary riches: over 1800 buildings, both religious and secular, of great historical value. During the course students will follow the French Route starting at Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees and will travel across Navarra and the Rioja wine country in Spain. Students will experience first-hand the cultural highlights, local festivities, marvelous nature, and traditional gastronomy of the Camino. During the 850 kilometer-long journey, students will cross the high plains of Castilla-León and visit the old cities of Burgos and León, in addition to seeing the Knights Templar Castle in Ponferrada, and finally the Galician capital of Santiago de Compostela. The journey will end in Madrid.

*SPAN 470 is available only for Spanish majors

Highlights: Itinerary

Brussels, Belgium (May 31-June 9)
The study tour will begin in the capital of Belgium, a city rich in diversity where French, Flemish and a variety of foreign languages can be heard spoken in the street any time of the day. Besides its royal parks and palaces, Brussels possesses an extraordinary number of plazas, museums, market places, and government and business centers (Brussels is also the seat of the European Parliament and NATO headquarters).   Along with visits to the Museums of Ancient and Modern Art and the Royal Museum of Central Africa, students will spend a day in the medieval city of Bruges, only a 40-minute train ride from Brussels.

Paris, France (June 9-13)
Students will continue their investigation of art, theft and cultural patrimony in Paris, concentrating on previous French colonial campaigns. In addition to visiting the many historic and cultural monuments, students will also visit the Louvre, the Musée dOrsay, and the Musée des Arts dAfrique et dOceanie.

Camino de Santiago, Spain (June 13-26)
The second portion of the program will consist of the Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage route starting in Roncesvalles, a small village in the Pyrenees. The route will take students through Pamplona, Logroño, Sto. Domingo, Burgos, León, Ponferrada and Santiago de Compostela, a city reputed to be the final resting place of Jesus apostle St. James the Great for whom the city was named. The students will then travel to Madrid to finish the program.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Approximately USD 5,880

Tuition and Fees: Estimated tuition and fees for 6 credit hours (based on standard tuition rate): USD 1239 *

*Actual expenses for KU students will vary by the students individual tuition compact. Non-KU students will pay the standard tuition rate listed above.

Estimated Additional Expenses: Airfare, lunches and dinners, books, personal expenses, passport fees, and extracurricular excursions. An optional group flight will be organized for the convenience of participants.

Note: All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.   

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Transcript
• Written Application