Preparing for Study Abroad in Northern Ireland

Program Site director

A Message from the Program Director

Dear Students,

My name is Nigel Glenny and I extend to you a warm welcome to HECUA’s Northern Ireland programme. I am excited you chose to participate in this programme. I think you have made a very wise choice.

I learn much from working with CGEE students - Docendo discimus! It would appear that students have many and varied reasons for deciding to study in Northern Ireland for a semester. While ‘reasons’ for participating in the programme are very diverse, it would appear that HECUA students share something in common with respect to wanting three important things from the semester:

To Learn

To Feel

To Act

During this semester we will work together to attempt to understand the causes and dynamics of violent conflict and the challenging, and rewarding, possibilities for building peace. You will test, create and evaluate theory; you will learn a lot about my part of the world and you will make many connections between Northern Ireland and the place you call home. You will learn some of the skills for making social change.

Often students tell me “I could not have learned this from just reading a book”. In order to understand society, community, and people you will be encouraged to employ everything useful you have at your disposal. During this semester, the community-based internship, classes, and many field experiences will provide you with rich spaces in which you will learn, feel and act. Expect to be challenged, encouraged and inspired. Expect to laugh a lot and allow for the possibility that you may also cry. You will think and you will be afforded many opportunities that could enable growth and confidence — you may even sing!

In seeking to help others, critically reflective practitioners ask many questions of themselves. At HECUA we not only learn about the world ‘out there’ we also learn about ourselves. This is not a self-indulgent exercise – it is the important work of making connections between how we learn and who we are in the world. This programme will provide time and space for you to do this in the hope that it will aid you to work authentically, and effectively, for social change.

So again, let me extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome. I look forward to meeting you and working with you in the near future. It is my hope that you have a rewarding, memorable, and very enjoyable semester in Northern Ireland.

With kind regards,

Nigel Glenny

HECUA Northern Ireland Programme Director

Nigel Glenny, PRogram Director

Nigel is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast with a First Class Honours Degree in Education (Religious Studies and History). He began his career as a history teacher then moved into Local Government as an Education Officer, where he designed and taught a wide range of experiential learning programmes for schools, colleges, youth and community groups. Much of this work utilized elements of Irish cultural traditions to foster cross-community contact between Protestant and Catholic groups from divided communities within Northern Ireland. Nigel then worked several years at a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged in peace and capacity-building initiatives throughout the island of Ireland. At that organization, he developed an International Citizenship Action Project that reached across communities in Northern Ireland, across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and across the Atlantic to the United States. He created materials for learning about peace and reconciliation, led programmes in how to facilitate student engagement, and trained teachers and youth workers throughout Ireland and the United States. Prior to taking up post with Incore, Nigel was Lecturer in International Education and Development based at Ulster University’s UNESCO Centre, School of Education where he also directed the HECUA programme. Prior to its transition to Augsburg CGEE, the Conflict, Peace and Transition in Northern Ireland programme (formerly known as Democracy and Social Change in Northern Ireland) was delivered in partnership with The Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), with the first group of students participating in 2002.

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