Global Seminars

Global Seminars are popular short-term study abroad programs led by University faculty during May session. Courses have no prerequisites or language requirements.

A number of Global Seminars are customized for students in the Institute of Technology. Most programs carry three semester credits, and they should be approved as technical elective credit for most IT majors; however, because short-term programs are subject to change, check with Adam Pagel or the Learning Abroad Center for current information.

Financial aid and scholarships are available. Most programs cost approximately $4,400, which includes airfare, tuition, lodging, excursions, most meals, insurance, etc.

May session 2009 Global Seminars will be announced in fall 2008

Future IT Global Seminars May Include:

Science, Technology, & Culture (PHYS 4993)

Italy & France
May 19–June 4, 2008
Join Physics Professor Marvin Marshak for an exploration of the history of scientific exploration in Western Europe and the implications for future investigations—all while seeing some of the most beautiful and engaging sites of Italy and southern France. Cities visited include Palermo, Naples, Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Nice.

Engineering & Research in Taiwan & Hong Kong (EE 3940)

Taiwan & Hong Kong
May 18–June 6, 2008
Professor Gerald Sobelman, Electrical and Computer Engineering, introduces seminar participants to the rapidly changing research and engineering activities taking place in the Asian/Pacific region. Site visits include scientific universities, research laboratories, and high-tech companies. Cities visited include Taipei, Hsinchu, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hong Kong.

Read Professor Sobelman's Seminar description from 2006—updated daily from the field!

Civil Structures in Central Europe: Old & New, Underground & Above
(Civil Eng. 4011)

May 23–June 9, 2008
The history of Central Europe is written in the structures of the region—Medieval bridges overlook Communist-era apartment buildings, which are overshadowed by the cranes erecting today’s most modern buildings and transportation systems. Professors Andrew Drescher and Henryk Stolarski bring their deep understanding of Civil Engineering and Central Europe to this engaging seminar. Cities visited include Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Warsaw.

Mechatronics: Comparing European & U.S. Product Design (ME 3080)

Switzerland
Professor Art Erdman (mechanical engineering) leads this May session course for juniors and seniors interested in product design and development in Switzerland. Based at Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, Switzerland, the seminar is a specialized, concise course in “mechatronics” complex systems, composing mechanical components, computers, and sensors. Among the seminar’s highlights are insights into successful leading Swiss and German production and services enterprises, and the world’s leading lab in high-energy research—CERN (Geneva). The seminar also includes a cultural and geographical survey of Switzerland, its land, and people as well as several excursions to the Swiss Alps, Zurich, Geneva, and Munich, Germany. (IT)

Mysteries of the Universe in the 21st Century (PHYS 4993)

Italy and Switzerland
Physics professor Marvin Marshak’s May Session seminar focuses on how centuries of scientific investigations—primarily done in Europe—have led to an understanding of many aspects of the universe in which we live. Nevertheless, many questions still remain: How did the universe begin? What is dark matter? Is matter stable? Where do ultra-high energy particles come from? Do new states of matter exist? Does the universe possess hidden dimensions? This course will explore many of these questions at a level suitable for science and technology majors and nonmajors, beginning with the origin of these questions in European science during the 16th through early 20th centuries. The seminar includes excursions to Rome, the National Laboratory at Gran Sasso (Florence), and CERN (Geneva) as well as time spent in Paris.

Special Topics in Computer Graphics (CSCI 4980)

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology/Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Computer science and engineering assistant professor Baoquan Chen’s May Session seminar is geared toward students interested in understanding the emerging global nature of the software industry, in which teams in various parts of the world interact with each other as a distributed enterprise. This new approach is leading simultaneously to the dual benefits of reduced costs and faster time to market. These concepts will be illustrated with discussions using computer graphics and multimedia. Participants will include researchers and practitioners from leading academic institutions and corporations, such as Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen University, Beijing University, Tsinghua University (Beijing), Microsoft Asia, Medtronic, ADC Telecommunications, 3M, and various industrial centers. Excursions include the Hong Kong harbor, Yu Garden and the Bund in Shanghai, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc. (IT)

Geology of Iceland: Volcanoes, Glaciers, and Plate Tectonics (GEO 3096) and Geology of Iceland Fieldwork (GEO 4096)

Iceland
Study the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Iceland Hotspot; constructive and destructive geological processes; volcanoes, glaciers, and their interplay in shaping the land; human impact and adaptation in the arctic; and biology. In addition to work in the classroom, libraries, and laboratories, the program includes visits to museums and collections and to fieldwork at sites around Reykjavik. During visits to different types of volcanoes and natural hot springs you will study the exploitation of geothermal energy, land forms produced by tectonics and erosion, biological zonation of thermophilic organisms, and plant identification. The seminar and fieldwork courses each offer 4 credits. (Learning Abroad Center)

Energy Production Methods: Wind, Hydro, Salt-Power, Coal, and Wave-Power Energy (EE 3940)

Iceland, Norway, and Denmark
Assistant Professor Paul Imbertson (electrical and computer engineering) offers a May Session seminar that will study existing and planned energy production methods and energy usage in Scandinavia. The seminar will focus on how energy production and usage patterns are linked to specific details of location, how the issues of production, usage, and environmental concerns have created the current tensions that are driving new energy planning. The seminar will enable students to bring these principles to bear in situations they will encounter in their future. Tours will include a wind turbine manufacturer, coal-fired power plan, wind farms, hydro facility, electric boat wave energy pool, aluminum smelter, and salt-power site. Seminar includes excursions to Reykjavik (Iceland), Oslo, Trondheim, and Bergen (Norway), and Copenhagen (Denmark).

A Science and Engineering Walkabout Down Under (EE 3940)

Australia
Professor David Lilja (electrical and computer engineering) offers a May Term seminar that will study science and engineering from the founding of Australia through the Victorian era to the present. A central theme for this exploration will be how navigation has changed over the centuries, from a very coarse dead-reckoning approach to today’s sophisticated satellite-based Global Positioning System. Through visits to appropriate historical and modern sites, students will learn how early sailors navigated using the sun and stars and how changes in technology reflect larger changes in science and technology. Related sites include: the Sydney Observatory, Sydney Opera House and harbor cruise, The Rocks, the Maritime Museum, the Blue Mountains, etc. The goal of this seminar is to help students develop an appreciation for another culture that is very similar to the U.S. but differs in a wide range of interesting and unexpected ways.

From Stonehenge to Steam: The Ascent of British Technology from Prehistory through the Victorian Era (ME 3080)

England
Professor Kim Stelson (mechanical engineering), an expert in technology with a keen interest in history, has lived in Bath, England, and is very familiar with the surroundings. This May Session seminar will examine the interactions between society and technology in Britain over time and will trace the history of technology and its social impact in England. Students will learn about the building of Georgian Bath, the Somerset coal canals, the Claverton pump, the Kennet and Avon Canal, and Brunel and the development of railroads, tunnels, bridges, and steamships. Based in the beautiful, historic city of Bath, students will explore the Roman Baths, the stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge. Field trips in and around Bath and to London are included in the program, including visits to Wells and Glastonbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Stonehenge, Avebury and Lacock, Bristol, and Swindon. This course fulfills the liberal education requirement of International Perspectives Theme and Historical Perspectives Core.