A total of 266 students — the largest number since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — are studying abroad in 28 different countries this semester, according to Senior Associate Dean of the College for Study Abroad Malik Blue.
The most popular destinations this semester are the United Kingdom, Spain and Denmark, according to Blue. Ten or more Brown students are also studying abroad in each of France, New Zealand, Ireland and Italy. Students are participating in study abroad programs in every continent other than Antarctica.
The size of this year’s cohort reflects a steady uptick in students studying abroad throughout recent semesters, Blue wrote in an email to The Herald. Though there has been an increase since the start of the pandemic, he also noted that this semester’s cohort is smaller than that of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years, each of which saw between 350 and 400 students studying abroad.
Although the pandemic’s effect on study abroad programs is significantly less pronounced than in previous semesters, ongoing program, institution and government health and safety restrictions are still in place, along with an overarching restriction on homestays, Blue added.
For William Forys ’24, who is studying abroad in Granada, Spain, the restriction on homestays meant that he was not able to apply to programs in several Spanish cities. The restriction on homestays will be lifted in fall 2023, according to Blue.
This semester, about 35% of students studying abroad are doing so through University-administered programs, with the other 65% participating in approved external programs, Blue wrote. He added that students usually consider factors such as language, location, academic offerings and opportunities in making their decision and that the program type alone is generally not a deciding factor.
Students told The Herald that program directors and advisors played an instrumental role in helping choose programs, handle logistics and create a positive experience. “One of my friends said that ‘they just want to see your study abroad dreams come true,’ and I would certainly second that point,” Forys wrote in a message to The Herald.
Edna Agyemang ’24, who is studying in Cape Town, South Africa, explained that immersion in a different country has provided valuable opportunities for educational and personal growth.
Forys wrote that his program in Granada provides a detailed look at important events in Spanish history — including the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco’s dictatorship — and the way Spaniards have memorialized these traumatic events.
“This has absolutely helped me manage some of the difficulty of being in a new place by explaining the reasons for some of the everyday differences we’re noticing,” he wrote. He added that meeting international students from all over the world has been a highlight of his stay in Granada.
For Agyemang, studying abroad in Cape Town provides opportunities to learn about South Africa’s racial history from African professors. “I have been experiencing a lot of African cultures, languages and food in a way that I could not at Brown,” she wrote in a message to The Herald.
