The Prague Program is the oldest CHID study abroad program at the University of Washington. The program itself is largely based on the philosophy of CHID: it combines academically rigorous seminar-style courses, international field trips aimed at provoking personal reflection and exploration, and cultural events that transform our program into a living community. We hope that students in the program not only critically explore the intersections of Central European history, society, and politics, but also, in the process, become themselves transformed by the places, people and ideas they encounter.

The Summer 2010 CHID Study Abroad Program in Prague, Czech Republic explores the dramatic social, cultural and political transformations of the 20th century in Central and Eastern Europe. The 15-credit program surveys Central and Eastern European history, politics, art and film, examining such themes as resistance to authoritarianism, gender equality and human rights, nationalism and ethnic violence, globalization and environmental justice, and the role of the European Union in shaping discourse in these areas.

During the Prague Program, we visit quite a few cultural sites and activities. We pay close attention to both regular and one-time Prague cultural events, such as exhibitions, performances and various kinds of festivals well in advance of the program and try to integrate the most relevant and interesting offerings into our classes. The program will also include some big field trips. Planned site visits include the Hungarian capital Budapest, the ancient Polish city of Krakow, and domestic visits to Moravský Krumlov and the beautiful UNESCO town of Cesky Krumlov. All of these excursions are dependent upon adequate student enrollment and predicted economic conditions.

The student housing starts (and thus is available) from noontime on TBA. Classes start on TBA. Students are expected to arrive in Prague on the weekend before classes begin (i.e. TBA) in order to be present for the beginning of the semester. If students want to arrive before TBA, they need to secure their own accommodations for those dates! (For hostels and other accomodation options please go to Useful Links...) The last day of instruction on the Prague Spring program is TBA The program student housing ends on TBA. (If students will wish to stay in Prague longer after the program is over, they will need to find their own accommodations after this date.)

The Summer 2010 CHID Study Abroad Program in Prague, Czech Republic explores the dramatic social, cultural and political transformations of the 20th century in Central and Eastern Europe. The 15-credit program surveys Central and Eastern European history, politics, art, architecture and film, examining such themes as resistance to authoritarianism, gender equality and human rights, nationalism and ethnic violence, globalization and environmental justice, and the role of the European Union in shaping discourse in these areas.

The program consists of three core classes (5 credits each), complemented by international and domestic field trips and cultural events. The History course "East European Communism and Everyday Life" taught by the program director, Prof. Vera Sokolova, is an intensive introductory course to the contemporary history of East Central Europe with a special emphasis on Czechoslovakia. Through visual culture, personal memoirs, oral history and site visits the class concentrates on issues of collaboration and resistance, complicity and responsibility, legacy and change, memory and forgetting, in order to see how these shape and complicate the notion of a national history, collective identity and individual agency. By examining the relationships between the state, society and the individual in various countries, the class works against the simplistic binary of "regime" vs. "people" and "East" vs. "West" to see what these reveal about the nature and reality of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. An integral part of this class is a Film Seminar, exploring and contrasting contemporary post-1989 cinematography with the (New Wave Czech) cinema of the 1960s and the mainstream communist regime films of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Political Science course "Democracy and Development", taught by Prof. Michael Smith, examines the interaction between democratization and the politics of economic development in Central and Eastern Europe. After the collapse of communism, democratic and economic reforms took place simultaneously and rapidly, leading to a host of urgent problems and consequences their designers did not always predict, such as increases in economic inequality, unemployment and an increased sense of insecurity by large segments of post-communist societies. These phenomena have, in turn, provided a base of support for reinvigorated communist parties and nationalist movements, as well as provoked disillusionment with the democratic process. In exploring the complex intersections of recent social, political and economic transformation, we will pay particular attention to the role of civil society and membership in the European Union in shaping the democratic futures of post-communist societies. An integral part of our class are visits of and from important Czech NGOs.

The third class is an Art History course "Prague Art and Architecture." This course examines the key developments in Czech visual art and architecture from the early medieval to the contemporary period. Slide-based lectures are supplemented by visits to representative monuments, art collections and museums in Prague. The primary objective of the course is to provide students with an overview of the history of art and architecture in Prague. In this respect, the course intends to have students acquire knowledge of the main characteristics of artistic and architectural styles by observing and analyzing paintings, sculptures, and architecture first-hand. The goal of the class is to understand the development of main historical styles and to identify their elements on the walks through the town.

In addition to the core classes, the program includes two 4-day international trips to Berlin and Budapest. We will also go on a third 3-day international trip to Krakow. At the end of the program, we go on an additional domestic 3-day trip to Cesky krumlov, a renown UNESCO town close to Czech-Austrian border. The courses will also be supplemented by visits to important Prague historical and cultural sites, visits by Czech NGO activists, exhibitions and other current cultural events in Prague.

The program fee is still being finalized and is expected to be around $4,800, including the $350 deposit. This fee will cover program costs, housing, credits, transportation and overnight accommodations for field trips. Upon acceptance, participants are required to submit a signed payment contract to the CHID office. At this time, the non-refundable $350 deposit, applied to the program fee, and a $250 fee for the Office of International Programs & Exchanges (IPE) will be assessed to the student’s tuition account.

The program fee does not cover: IPE fee, airfare, meals, insurance or personal travel and expenses. The CHID Program reserves the right to change the program fee based upon dollar devaluation or severe inflation. If such a change occurs, students will be notified of the increase and an adjustment will be made to the final program payment. All fees are charged to students’ accounts, and paid the same way as tuition.

Refund: Once we have received your contract, the $350 deposit and IPE fee are non-refundable. Any student withdrawing from the program is subject to the date dependent withdrawal policy outlined in their contract. Student withdrawing from the program after given deadlines will be liable for a percentage of the program fee depending upon the date of withdrawal, which could range from $600 to the entire program fee. Participants who wish to withdraw must submit a signed Withdrawal Form to both the CHID and IPE offices.

Scholarships: See the IPE website (www.ipe.washington.edu) for information about scholarships, including the quarterly IPE scholarship. Other sites include:

http://www.goglobal.washington.edu/

http://exp.washington.edu/

TBD

Most forms of financial aid can be used during participation in this program. Participants who are on financial aid should contact the Financial Aid office to verify that their awards will apply. Students interested in applying for increased financial aid during their study abroad should obtain a revision request from the Financial Aid office, and a budget of student expenses from the IPE office, and submit both to the Financial Aid office in Schmitz Hall.

Students from all areas of study are encouraged to apply. After applying, students will be contacted for an interview.
NOTE: In order to receive credit for this program, participants must submit a Concurrent Enrollment (CE) form to the IPE office.
There is a $25 late fee for forms that are turned in after the deadline.

Departure Quarter	Concurrent Enrollment Deadline
Autumn	September 1
Winter	December 1
Spring	March 1
Summer	May 1
Exploration Seminar	July 1