Athens, Ga. – This summer, the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of Germanic and Slavic studies will launch a new study abroad program in the city of Freiburg, Germany.
The program will offer instruction in the German language and culture of environmentalism—specifically in Freiburg—that includes aspects of a community devoted to and affected by sustainable housing, transportation, energy production and consumption.
Known as a model for sustainable urban design and sustainable living since the 1980s, Freiberg is home for many environmental technology companies that export internationally. A city of 230,000 people, it is located in southwestern Germany near the French and Swiss borders. The area is known for its mild climate, medieval architecture, cultural scene and thriving university.
Classes for the summer study abroad program will be taught on the campus of the University of Freiburg, at their Language Teaching Centre, or Sprachlehrinstitut—a facility that attracts students from all over the world.
“Freiburg is one of Germany’s ‘greenest’ cities and a perfect location for combining the study of Germany’s environmental policies and practices with that of the German language,” said Martin Kagel, head of the UGA department of Germanic and Slavic studies. “We hope that the program will add to UGA students’ environmental literacy as much as to their foreign-language proficiency; and, no doubt, Georgia needs students proficient in both of these areas.”
The Freiburg program is open to all students, including those with no prior German language experience. The deadline for application is Feb. 1.
For more information or an application, see www.gsstudies.uga.edu, stop by the department’s office at 201 Joe Brown Hall or email program director Heide Crawford at hacraw@uga.edu.