academic info

Since 1979, the Center for Global Education and Experience at Augsburg University has delivered high-impact, experiential programming in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. CGEE programs are designed to learn from communities and groups working for social change to inform thought and action for personal and societal transformation. 

Pedagogy

Commitments

INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute), at the Magee campus (Derry-Londonderry) of Ulster University will be your host for the semester. With origins dating back to the 1860s, Ulster University was established in 1984 when the New Ulster University and Ulster Polytechnic amalgamated. Noted for its commitment to exploring contemporary issues, the University offers courses to more than 27,000 students from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and abroad. 

For full course syllabi, see CGEE Course Directory 

Students take a full course load during the program, which includes a for-credit internship, earning 16 credits during the semester (view the course syllabi):

• HIS 317/INS 317: Understanding the Northern Ireland Conflict (4 cr): This 4-credit course is a fully integrated component of the Conflict, Peace and Transition in Northern Ireland semester program which examines a society’s transition from violent conflict to a sustainable democracy, a transition that continues to be a fragile and difficult process. 

• POL 346/INS 316: Building a Sustainable Democracy (4 cr): This course is designed to engage students in a dynamic learning experience that will facilitate a critical understanding of the Northern Ireland ‘peace process’ and continuing efforts to build an inclusive and sustainable democracy. 

• POL 347/INS 387: Peacebuilding, Community, and Reflective Practice (POL 347) / or;  Integration Seminar: Theory and Practice (INS 387): This course is designed to engage students in a dynamic learning experience that will facilitate a critical understanding of actions that can be taken by ‘grassroots’ individuals, groups and organizations to build peace and develop community in Northern Ireland. 

• INS 399: Internship Placement: The Conflict, Peace and Transition in Northern Ireland Internship is designed to engage students in a dynamic learning experience that will facilitate the development of important and transferable skills, and the acquisition of valuable insights into how different facets of society in Northern Ireland are working towards the development of peace and community development. You are required to work 168 hours minimum during the internship. 

You are required to bring a laptop with you that can function with MS Office and can accept a USB pen drive. Adapters are available for new Macs, and if you don’t have MS Office this can be accessed free as a registered Ulster student. This is required in order for you to access some readings, submit coursework, and importantly, for internships students are expected to be self-sufficient with respect to having their own laptop.

Study Projects                      

There are two study projects that you will work on in addition to other coursework: the Independent Study Project (ISP) and the Group Study Project (GSP). These projects enable you to study specific topics of interest in depth both independently and collaboratively. Your program director will act as your advisor during your projects. Before you leave for Northern Ireland, it is important that you have established some ideas about possible topics both for the group and individual study projects. Some areas to consider:

• Education, Conflict and Peacebuilding 

• Gender, Conflict and Peacebuilding

• Art, Conflict and Peacebuilding

• Truth, justice and reconciliation

• Dealing with the past

• The role of civil society (e.g., churches, community groups, women’s movement)

Internship Placements                                       

As stated above, you will determine your internship placement during the residential orientation during the first week of the program. If you would like to read in advance about some of the organizations that have offered internship placements in Northern Ireland, please visit the websites below. However, you will be negotiating your internship site choice once you arrive and will not be able to make a final decision about your internship before you arrive. This list is based on some recent internship sites and is not exhaustive. As mentioned above, please note that COVID will affect which organizations can support an intern and how organizations will be able to do this. The situation is still evolving.

• Children in Crossfire: http://www.childrenincrossfire.org/

• St Columb’s Park House: http://stcolumbsparkhouse.org/

• Triax Neighbourhood Management Team:  https://www.triaxneighbourhoodmanagementteam.com/general-9

• The Pat Finucane Centre: http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/

• New Gate Arts and Cultural Centre: https://www.newgatearts.com/about

• North West Community Network:  http://www.nwcn.org/ 

• The Rainbow Project: http://www.rainbow-project.org/

• Bloody Sunday Trust: https://museumoffreederry.org/bloody-sunday-trust/ 

• North West Migrants Forum: https://nwmf.org.uk 

The Center for Global Education and Experience staff in Minneapolis will register you for the following courses:

• INS 316: Building a Sustainable Democracy (4 credits)

• INS 317: Understanding the Politics of the Northern Ireland Conflict (4 credits)

• INS 387: Internship Seminar (4 credits)

• INS 399: Internship Placement (4 credits) 

General Academic Information

Explanation of grades, assessment, attendance, etc.