Spring 2012 Academic Travel Offerings

The College reserves the right to change course offerings and scheduling.

In this section you will find a comprehensive overview of Franklin College's Academic Travel course offerings. For the most current list or if you would like to plan your Academic Travel Program, please visit My Franklin.

Academic Travel Programs scheduled for Spring 2012 are as follows:

TVL 165 Romania and Moldova
Professor Cordon

The historic Principalities of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia merged in the late 19th Century to form modern Romania. The eastern portion of Moldavia shifted between Soviet and Romanian domination and is now the main component of the independent Republic of Moldova. These lands are rich in history and cultural heritage. Transylvania has large German- and Hungarian-speaking minorities which have been there since the 13th Century. Moldavia offers superb examples of Orthodox monastic architecture and also has considerable Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities. Wallachia, the cradle of the Romanian nation, is more industrial and has a large Roma (gypsy) minority. This Academic Travel will focus on the recent history and current politics of Romania and Moldova, with special emphasis on the issues of cultural identity and statehood. We will explore Bucharest, the capital of Romania and Wallachia, where the 1989 revolution played. In Transylvania the group will visit the mixed cities of Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Sighisoara (birthplace of Vlad Tepes, who inspired the legend of Count Dracula). Finally we will visit a few Moldavian monasteries and Chisinau, capital of the Republic of Moldova.

TVL 218 Seville and Andalusia
Professor Bottacchi

(From Antiquity to the Present) This visit introduces students to the history, culture, politics, and arts of Spanish civilization of Andalusia and southern Spain. Students will be based in Seville as they are introduced to the region and its cities including Grenada, Malaga, Cadiz, Cordoba, Marbella, Antequera, and Gibraltar. It is in this region the students will be introduced to the classical heritage of Spain: Roman, Visigothic, Moorish, and the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic dimensions of its past. The visit then proceeds to the coast to Malaga and surrounding area. Throughout this entire Program students will be introduced to the modern and traditional aspects of Spanish culture and politics with visits to historical sites and museums. In each city the Program Director, guides, and specialists, will lecture on particular, relevant topics.

TVL 277 Turkey
Professor Rocourt

(Turkey: the old and the new) Clichés about Turkey's unique cultural and geopolitical status abound. Is it part of Europe or part of Asia? Is it an Islamic republic or a European-style democracy? An original member of NATO, Turkey is today still only reluctantly embraced by the European Union, with full membership far from a certainty. The focus of the trip will be upon developing an understanding of why all the disparate and even paradoxical descriptions contain a kernel of truth. Modern Turkey has evolved from a unique historic blend of Greco-Roman culture, Byzantine dominance, and Ottoman politics, culture and religion, all of which were brought into the modern age by the political will of Ataturk starting in the 1920's. Destinations include: Gallipoli, Troy, Çanakkale, Assos, Izmir, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia, Bo?azköy and Ankara (selected by Ataturk in the centre of the peninsula to be the heart of the new Turkish politics). Overall the focus will be upon Greco-Roman and medieval history, as well as modern-day politics, tourism and agriculture. Readings will include items about ancient historical sites, Ottoman history, and a biography of Ataturk.

TVL 285 Hamburg/Baltic Sea/Copenhagen
Professor Prisner

Hamburg prides itself on being Germany's "Gateway to the World". It is Germany's largest harbor and, historically, it connected the Baltic Sea region with North Sea access. In recent years, Hamburg has had to manage the challenge of globalization by developing new economical areas in cooperation with the surrounding communities. Copenhagen has to face the same situation and its answer is similar: building a metropolitan area with a diversified economical structure. We will spend several days in Hamburg, visiting the harbor, wharfs, the Airbus site, a publisher, and an advertising company (Hamburg is Germany's center of print media and is a leader in the field of advertising). We will also visit Luebeck. Then we will travel to Copenhagen, enjoying the countryside and the Baltic Sea on our way. Students will study how major cities deal with economic changes and will consider the problems harbor cities face as they make the transition to a global market.

TVL 291 Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia
Professor Schlein

(History and Politics) This trip focuses on how several of the states that had been part of the former Yugoslavia have been coping with the effects of the Civil War and the following conflicts since 1995. Students travel by bus and visit Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Dubrovnik. The students have the opportunity to meet with speakers on the various issues of recent history, ethnic conflict, war crimes and how they are seen in the areas involved, the implementation of the Dayton Accords, reconstruction and relations with the European Union.

TVL 299 Istria and Belgrade
Professor Dudukovic

(History, Politics, Culture and Traditions) The purposes of this interdisciplinary travel program to Istria and Belgrade are twofold. The first part of the trip introduces students to the historical, political and multicultural dimensions of Istria and Croatia from different perspectives. Students are introduced to the historical origins, architecture and the developing tourist industry of Istria as well as the political and cultural life of Istria and Croatia. Related topics include analyses of the economic transition currently in evidence in Croatia as well as the Croatian educational system. The second part of the trip exposes students to the rich historical and cultural dimensions of Belgrade, the former capital of Yugoslavia and currently the capital of Serbia. Salient aspects of Serbia are stressed, to include its economic, demographic, cultural, linguistic, and political milieu as well as current transitional changes in this post socialistic country. Students will gain on-site experience which goes far beyond the information which can be found in the print media or on the Internet. Meetings with government representatives and private business managers, interviews with ordinary people and visits to the refugee camp are planned. The itinerary will center on Pula, Opatia, Brioni, Postojna, Motovun and Belgrade.

TVL 304 Cyprus
Professor Mottale

(Ethnic division, its causes and attempts at resolution) Students will be introduced to millenarian civilizations of Cyprus and will become acquainted with the Turkish and Greek cultural components on the island. This travel program will focus on the history, culture, politics, and arts of this island and its final evolution from a British colony, to a divided and segmented republic with membership in the European Union. Politics permitting, students will be visiting the main urban centers on both sides of the divide such as Larnaka, Limassol, Nicosia, and Famagusta. A particular focus will be placed on the synthesis of civilizations that have come to influence the cultural and physical landscape of the area. Emphasis will be put on salient aspects of Classical Greek civilization, its symbiosis with Roman rule, and the evolution of Byzantine imperial domination, Orthodox Christianity and Crusader rule, through Venetian hegemony, and Ottoman-Islamic control. Students will also be introduced to the modern dynamic elements of the island, shaped by a British presence that lasted almost ninety years and still persists to this day. The final aim of this academic travel is to gain an insight into the multifaceted historical identity of the Cypriot population.

TVL 306 Bavaria: Laptop and Lederhosen
Professor Pyka

Focusing on the Bavarian capital Munich, this course seeks to explore urban planning and urban development of a European city from the Middle Ages to the Present. It asks in which way the interplay of tradition and modernity has structured not only the mindsets of the population, but also the physical shape of cities. The examples explored in the pre-trip seminar as well as on the spot are the medieval urban centre of Nuremberg in Franconia with its long history of urban independence and self confidence of its citizens, and the state's more modern capital Munich, chosen as the residence of the Bavarian elector-princes and later kings. Both cities were deeply involved in the architectural fantasies of National Socialism and therefore also in West German attempts post-war to deal with this legacy by architecture. Thus special attention will be given to the impact of social cultural developments on the urban sphere, as well as to the use of tradition and history for urban planning and architecture.

TVL 309 Umbria
Professor Zdanski

(Making and studying art) This course will explore the art of Umbria in Italy in the context of the territory and its traditions. The 'centerpiece' of the course is a seminar on ceramics at La Fratta, local artist Luca Leandri's studio () near the town of Deruta (Perugia), one of the centers of ceramics production in Italy. Umbria is a region of breathtaking natural beauty, and can boast of a long standing cultural heritage, starting from the ancient Umbrians and the Etruscans (masters of the terracotta tradition par excellence), and extending through the Romans, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the area and its history in a unique way, by making a form of art that the region is famed for, and by visiting some of its art centers (Perugia, Assisi, Citta' di Castello, Gubbio, Orvieto and Spoleto) and some of its places of natural beauty (Lago di Trasimeno, Le Marmore waterfall, Fonti di Clitunno, Monti Sibillini). The trip will also provide an opportunity to see how contemporary life and art in this region draw upon or depart from this wealth of art and culture.

TVL 311 Malawi: Sustainable Agriculture
Professor Zanecchia

This academic and service travel experience to Malawi focuses on sustainable agriculture and natural resource conservation. In addition to understanding the history and culture of Malawi, special emphasis will be devoted to exploring the feasibility of sustainable agriculture in the context of development pressures and dependency theory. A small group of students will have the opportunity to study the importance of sustainable development in the context of subsistence farming and the pressures on natural resource conservation that characterize the region. Students will visit the University of Malawi, Freedom Gardens (a demonstration project in food security), and explore Lake Malawi by a 22 meter vessel where visits to local villages and NGOs will provide hands-on service work in sustainable development. Opportunities for game viewing in Liwonde National Park will also be included in this academic travel. Travel Supplement: CHF 1,575 (for students invoiced in CHF) or USD 1,750 (for students invoiced in USD)

TVL 312 Florence, Lucca and Siena
Professor Gebhardt

This Academic Travel highlights Florence, Lucca and Siena in central Italy. These three cities have a turbulent history, from which emerged perhaps the most explosive manifestation of art in the western world. We will try to follow their history from the Roman (and Etruscan) origins, focusing on their development during the medieval period, up to and including the Renaissance. Visits in Florence include the towers of the Cerchi and the Donati, la Torre della Castagna (the first town hall) Palazzo Vecchio, Bargello, and Torre della Pagliuzza, as well as the important churches, the Cathedral, the Palazzo Medici, and the Accademia. We will subsequently travel to Lucca and Siena and discuss their development during this period and their relationship to Florence. Although they both offer a similar history with divisions and wars between families and with neighboring cities, we will examine their individual characteristics. Prior to departure, students will be introduced to the development of the political situation from the medieval city-state to the Signorie of the Renaissance, and to the life and works of the most representative personalities (political, literary and artistic) of this period.

TVL 319 Between East and West: Vienna-Budapest-Prague
Professor Gardiner

This 1-credit travel course aims to put Central Europe on the map for Franklin College students by exploring several important cities of the region, primarily Vienna, Budapest and Prague but also Bratislava and Brno. One specific focus of the course is the changing nature of borders and boundaries; another is the very difficulty to define 'Central Europe' as such. After a grounding in the historical development of these cities, particularly under the Habsburgs, students will explore the different ways in which each of these cities has developed over time, emphasizing both the radical differences that distinguish these cities from each other and the interdisciplinary synergies that connect them to each other. In addition to pre-travel readings and presentations, and the travel itself, students will be required to write a comparative paper that involves a specific aspect of all cities, e.g. the Revolution of 1848; Jewish culture, the Iron Curtain.

TVL 329 Thailand
Professor Guggiari

This travel is designed to 1) expose students to an East-Asian culture , 2) allow students to discover and experience firsthand the socio-economic culture of Thai villagers and 3) offer students a method of using their resources to directly benefit the village people. This trip will be in collaboration with the Sainam Foundation and take place in a remote Thai village, Surin, in the eastern part of the country. The group will travel directly to the village of Surin via the Bangkok airport. Students will be staying in local village houses. Depending upon the status of the foundation projects, students will be involved for approximately 10 days of community service which could include: - Helping to construct houses that students will begin construction on while on site, - Clearing land for construction, - Painting newly constructed houses The Foundation has also agreed to have the FC students work with the SAINAM village school and the surrounding village schools to assist with the English language classes and outdoor activities. Please note: Students considering this trip should take into account the primitive accommodations provided by the homestay villagers. In addition, students will be expected to complete the service learning component of the course which may include manual labor. A strict behavior and dress code will be enforced. Travel Supplement: CHF 300 (for students invoiced in CHF) or USD 335 (for students invoiced in USD).

TVL 330 The Pianura Padana at the crossroad of History and Art
Professor Orsi

The Pianura Padana has marked the history of the Italian peninsula no less than the seas surrounding it South, East and West. This has been a direct consequence of the presence of the River Po, which has given it its name and has written its history. Medieval kings, clergymen, ambassadors and pilgrims travelling to Italy from the North, or arriving by sea, looked in wonder at the lively urban centers that they encountered in this region at a time when Europe was still amply characterized by feudalism. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it was the land through which artists from the North and the South travelled carrying with them new styles, new techniques, sketchbooks, precious manuscripts. They were bound not only to Venice, the Serenissmia, or to Rome, the seat of the papal court, but also to Ferrara, Ravenna, Padova, Verona, Vicenza, Mantova. In our travel we will explore some of the towns and cities that were most influential as crossroads between West and East, North and South - Bologna, Ferrara, Rimini, Padova, Verona, Mantova - to finish in Venice, the city born of the water but which was able to take the greatest advantage from the Pianura Padana and its own position in it.

TVL 336 Brazil: Colonialism, Slavery and the Political Economy of Growth
Professor Khan

Colonial Brazil was the largest importer of African Slaves in world history and one of the last regions in the Americas to abolish slavery. Slaves laboring on the sugar plantations of the Northeast and in the mines of Minas Gerais generated much of the wealth that transformed Brazil from a backward outpost in the Portuguese Empire in the 17th century into one of world's wealthiest commodity producers in the 18th and 19th centuries. African slaves brought their religion, food, music, and language to create a new Brazilian Culture infused with an African sensibility. Though Brazil has been called a racial democracy, more open and less segregated than other post-colonial societies in the Americas, discrimination and race-based inequality remain widespread and deeply embedded in the Brazilian labor market. This academic travel will tour all parts of that crucible of Afro-Brazilian culture, Bahia, to better understand the new world which the slaves made, the conditions under which they worked, and how their presence shaped the political-economy of colonial and post-colonial Brazil. Travel Supplement: CHF 1,600 (for students invoiced in CHF) or USD 1,780 (for students invoiced in USD).

TVL 342 Malaysia
Professor Adams

Malaysia is an emerging Asian economy aspiring to move towards a technology driven pattern of development in line with other newly industrialized economies across Asia. Yet Malaysia is also a multi-cultural society whose ethnic divisions need to be managed carefully. These challenges will be the focus of this travel program. The group will visit and meet with business and economic leaders in Penang and Kuala Lampur to discuss how the country is trying to create competitive advantage in many industries. They will be given the opportunity to learn and debate with university students in the country and to learn how this upcoming generation views the challenges of integration in such a multi-cultural society. The group will explore issues related to both political and economic progress with local scholars and professionals. Finally, students will have the opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage of Malaysia during trips to cultural centers both in and around Penang and Kuala Lampur. Travel Supplement: CHF 900 (for students invoiced in CHF) or USD 1,000 (for students invoiced in USD).

TVL 343 Marche and Umbria: A cultural and literary journey
Professor Lazzari

This course offers an introduction to cultural and literary expressions of the regions Umbria and Marche, in Italy. Students will visit the Gradara castle located closed to the famous Riviera Romagnola, where the tragedy of Paolo and Francesca, narrated in Dante's Inferno, took place. In Recanati they will discover the house of another major Italian poet, Giacomo Leopardi. By visiting Assisi, the life and work of Saint Frances, author of the first literary production in Italian literature, will be introduced. The travel will also include the visit of the city of Urbino, the "Museo della carta e della filigrana" in Fabriano, and the Grotte di Frasassi. Since food and manufacturing are also part of Italian culture, workshops on Italian cuisine and visit to ateliers may be organized.

TVL 344 Bloomsbury Britain
Professor Peat

This travel course will go from the Bloomsbury area of central London to other locations in southern England. The thematic focus of the trip will be the Bloombsury Group, a loose network of writers, artists, and intellectuals (including Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, and Roger Fry) who gathered in Bloomsbury during the first decades of the twentieth century. We will visit a variety of locations associated with the Bloomsbury Group and, as we do so, we will imagine the life and culture of Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. As well as visiting the various Bloomsbury squares where members of the group lived and worked, a selection of museums and galleries, the famous bookstores on Charing Cross Road, and Kew gardens, we will also travel outside of London to such places as Cambridge, Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, and Charleston and Monks House in Sussex.

TVL 345 Art and industry: London and the North of England
Professor Gee

This academic travel aims to look at the relation between the visual arts and British industrial development in the course of the 19th and 20th century. It considers both the creation of Victorian museums, galleries and art collections within the rapidly developing industrial city, as well as the emergence of post-industrial cultural economies in the second half of the 20th century. It addresses the impact of late Twentieth century regeneration strategies on the cultural field, putting a particular emphasis on the development of contemporary art from the 1980s onwards. Thus the course aims to further the students' knowledge of artistic developments in England and Britain during the period, while stressing these developments interactive relation with socio-political and economic history. The trajectory of the program takes the group north from London to Liverpool, and south from Manchester back to London. It features a series of visits to seminal art spaces, architectural landmarks as well as past and present industrial sites. Travel preparation includes readings in art history, urban history, sociology, poetry and literature.