CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Along with the University of Bucharest, U.S. Department of State and Penn State Global Programs, the Penn State Lehigh Valley CHANCE program is offering a hands-on opportunity through its most transformative and engaging international short-term study-abroad program to date, CHANCE Romania 2021.
In this unique and groundbreaking binational course series, Penn State students will partner with students from the University of Bucharest, Romania, via online and in-the-field formats to develop their skills in navigating complex, inter-disciplinary and global challenges related to water issues facing the Danube River.
Please note that due to COVID-19 regulations, faculty-led education abroad programs are cancelled through spring 2021. Summer 2021 travel is subject to University approval, dates are subject to change, and programming may be altered or canceled due to changing circumstances.
Before leaving for Romania, students working in binational groups will partake in a virtual, mid-spring semester course which runs March 15-April 30. In this course, the students will identify, develop and present a mini-research project related to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This exercise is intended to give the students practice with the skills they will need to successfully engage in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) once they are on-site in Romania. This course will be taught by both Penn State and University of Bucharest faculty.
From July 5 to 26, the students will then work side-by-side leading scientists to carry out undergraduate research in the field and create opportunities to advocate for change with politicians, international agencies and university leaders.
Twelve Penn State and 12 University of Bucharest students will be accepted into this program. The cost of the entire two-course series (4.25 credits at the 400 level) is $1,200. The embedded programs scholarship is a competitive scholarship offered through Global Programs, and the deadline to apply is March 15. CHANCE partnered with donors to subsidize this program so that cost would not be a deterrent for any student to apply. What should drive a student to apply is a desire to learn about conservation and sustainability in a global context and to engage in rigorous and authentic undergraduate research focused on global environmental issues.
More information about this program is available on the CHANCE website. Interested students can apply online. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28.
For more information contact Jacqueline McLaughlin, CHANCE founding director at jshea@psu.edu.