Oh, the places we studied abroad

As students continued their education online from dorms and hometown bedrooms starting in 2020, the idea of studying abroad felt like a distant hope. But behind the scenes, Syracuse Abroad was planning for students’ arrivals at global centers, first in Florence in Spring 2021 and then all other centers in Spring 2022. 

“The center staff – London, Madrid, Florence, Strasbourg, Santiago – all of them went through at least the initial timetables, course offerings, as well as having to put through detailed plans of here’s what COVID restrictions currently look like,” said Becca Farnum, the assistant director for teaching and learning at Syracuse University London. “Here’s what we can mitigate, here’s how many [students] we think we can host safely, and here’s where the experience would be limited.” 

Although semesters at some centers looked far different than others, the Syracuse community was excited to create memorable, worthwhile experiences back in the classroom and around the world.

“Overall, in the following semesters, responses were positive, supportive, and very collaborative, including when local regulations differed significantly from those in the U.S., ” SU Florence director Sasha Perugini said. “Students were understanding of the difficulties and the complexities of navigating different protocols, regulations and requirements.”

Explore the map below to see how students navigated everything from PCR tests to border closures to create unforgettable study-abroad experiences.