Upcoming Global Seminars
Spring 2025 – Global Seminar with Le Mans University, France
HON175/POS177/IGS277 Global Perspectives on Democracy
Faculty: Linda Beck (linda.beck@maine.edu)
Travel Dates: June 26-July 4, 2025
Each year, a conference is organized in Camden, Maine on a topic related to world affairs. This year’s topic is “Democracy under Threat: A Global Perspective.” Presentations at the Conference feature experts from the worlds of diplomacy, journalism, business, and academia. Students will read and discuss materials related to the conference theme in preparation for the conference, which they can attend in person or virtually February 21-23. After the conference, students will participate in a virtual exchange with students from France, Senegal, and South Africa to further explore Global Perspectives on Democracy. Students in this Spring Term course will have the option to apply for a scholarship under UMF’s Global Classrooms program to participate in a French Language & Culture program at Le Mans University. The scholarship will cover the program fees, lodging, and tuition for 6 transferable credits for the 3-week program to be held June 16-July 4. Students are responsible for transportation to and food during the program.
Costs:
Camden Conference Costs covered by UMF’s Research Learning Experiences Grant
Fees for French Language & Culture Program and Lodging at LMU: $1,400*
Estimated additional Student Costs: $1,300 for airfare and food during the program
* Students may apply to have their program fees, tuition, and lodging covered by a scholarship under UMF’s Global Classrooms program with funding from a UISFL Grant
Spring 2025 – Global Seminar with Northeastern Normal University in Changchun, China
EDU277/EDU377/INS280: Learning Across Borders – Exploring Education in China & US
Faculty: Shannon Larsen (shannon.larsen@maine.edu)
Spring Term Course Plus Travel Dates: May 16-31, 2025
This course is an examination of schools and schooling in China and the United States. The course begins in January 2025 with a semester-long Virtual Global Experience in which we collaborate with education majors at Northern Eastern Normal University in Changchun, China that then culminates with a trip to Changchun and Beijing, China in June. While in China, students will visit local schools, engage in language classes, and visit cultural and historical sites in both Changchun and Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall.
Costs:
Course Fee: $3,850*
Additional Expenses: $100
* Students are eligible for a scholarship of up to $1,000.
Total Estimated Costs: $3,850 + Tuition (1-3 credits)
Past Global Seminars
Spring 2024 – Global Seminar with Le Mans University, France
This Global Seminar combined a Virtual Global Experience (VGE) with our French international partner Le Mans University (LMU) and field work with LMU students in France. The course began with an exploration of global issues that interested students at each university in collaboration with their instructors. During the first portion of the course, the UMF & LMU students investigated their topics together, meeting virtually for five weeks to discuss their research and compare their findings utilizing case studies in Maine and France. At the end of the VGE, each group composed of a combination of UMF and LMU students presented a summary of their findings in a common report to the rest of the class. In May, the UMF students traveled to France where they met their French instructors and some of their LMU classmates while exploring themes related to their group projects in Le Mans, the Loire Valley, Mont St. Michel, and Paris. After the UMF students returned from France, UMF hosted a group of LMU students who traveled around Maine and Quebec with their LMU professors. Following their field experiences, the UMF students wrote a final reflective essay drawing on their VGE research and observations in France.
This Global Seminar is part of UMF’s Global Classroom project funded by an Undergraduate International Studies & Foreign Language grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information on global experiences, please contact:
Office of Experiential & Global Education
University of Maine at Farmington
106 Fusion Space
117 South Street
Farmington, Maine 04938
UMFGlobalEd@maine.edu