European Odyssey Study Abroad Program
Program Description:
The European Odyssey study abroad program provides 20-25 students with the opportunity to spend an entire semester residing in Europe while progressing through five areas of academic study. Each class, taught by UW Oshkosh professors, is a balanced blend of classroom and on site lectures, discussions, site visitations, written assignments and exams. On weekends, students have opportunities to explore their environments on their own. Our mini-residences range from 1 to 3 weeks each to allow students time to "settle in" and savor the sights and sounds of their various settings. Residence cities include London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam and Florence. Numerous day trips to selected locations and sites augment and enhance the program's academic emphasis.
My Role in the European Odyssey:
In spring 2011 I completed my fifth European Odyssey. On the first European Odyssey I taught in Berlin for two weeks; since then I have always taught my course on European Geography in two different cities--either Paris and Berlin or Amsterdam and Berlin. In all cities I do a lot of walking tours, focusing on urban development and other urban issues. In addition, in Paris we visited a mosque and Versailles. In Amsterdam we enjoy the Dutch master painters at the Rijksmuseum, explore the Anne Frank Huis, visit a diamond cutter, and learn how windmills work at Zaanse Schans open air museum. In Berlin, we visit several museums (Checkpoint Charlie, Pergamon Museum and Transportation Museum), but we have also been to the Olympic Stadium, a Team Handball game and various other sites.
I was born and raised in divided Berlin, and in my opinion, Berlin is one of the most fascinating cities in the world! I was trained as a geographer in both Germany and the US and my research focuses on migration and urban issues in Europe and the Americas. I have a wide variety of interests and I love to explore new places and getting to know new people. I travel as much as I can and really enjoy teaching!
I have been part of the European Odyssey team from the beginning. We have successfully completed the European Odysseys in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. I had a wonderful time teaching students in the locations where the actual events happened—this is a very different teaching and learning experience from being in a classroom!
European Odyssey 2013
We are currently planning a European Odyssey for spring semester 2013. The 2013 European Odyssey will take place in Amsterdam, Paris, London, Rome, Dresden and Berlin, with a spring break in Venice. More information about the program can be obtained from the European Odyssey team: John Minniear (minniear@uwosh.edu), Heike Alberts (alberts@uwosh.edu), Monika Hohbein-Deegen (deegen@uwosh.edu) or Larry Carlin (carlin@uwosh.edu). Please also watch for our European Odyssey webpage, which will go online in spring 2012.
Odyssey Photos
European Odyssey 2006: Berlin
European Odyssey 2007: Amsterdam and Berlin
European Odyssey 2009: Amsterdam and Berlin
European Odyssey 2010: Paris and Berlin
