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Published: February 19th 2012
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Thanks in large part to a generous donation to the University of Chicago Paris abroad program, a group of two dozen students (twelve from the University of Chicago and the rest from Sciences Po in Paris) were graciously invited to accompany Professor Lisa Wedeen in her lecture to the south of France, for an overnight stay in Menton- a beautiful town nestled in the sands of the Mediterranean, by the edge of Italy. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the students and program director of Sciences Po in Menton. From the many experiences I have had while abroad in Paris, I must say spending time in Menton was the most wonderful adventure of all.
The view from Sciences Po was completely breathtaking. Not only were the facilities new, the reception room where we were hosted had the gorgeous backdrop of the sparkling Mediterranean. A student from Sciences Po who was studying abroad for the semester pointed out his dorm, which was literally within high tide length of the sea. It seemed incredible to be a hard working student and yet awake each morning to the sound of waves.
Sciences Po delicately blended into the environment of Menton- indeed
if you were looking for a university you could easily miss it. It was so naturally situated amongst the hills that it only added to the beauty of the city instead of detracting from it: the red and orange brick buildings of the university were painted as to coincide along with theme of the historic town. Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted students and faculty of Sciences Po and received a tour of the campus. What struck me the most was the new and hip library full of literary texts about the Arab World, with translations of both English and French, a quiet and peaceful space with wide windows revealing the glittering sea.
We accompanied Professor Lisa Wedeen and several other Sciences Po students from Paris to a lecture she delivered about her experiences in Yemen. Because our course is based on the theoretical as well as current happenings of the “Arab Spring”, Professor Wedeen’s address fit perfectly with the theme of our course. She discussed how democratic discussions were shared throughout the echelons of Yemeni society. In order to understand the phenomena of the Arab Spring, one must understand the political history of the nations that are undergoing
current governmental change - reflecting what Professor Wedeen’s discussion was about.
The mission of Sciences Po is very clear- to foster understanding and academic scholarship of the Middle East- and to the Arab world especially. Being of Arab descent, I was deeply moved that a group of two hundred students and a very dedicated staff would devote their studies and perhaps their lives towards understanding a region very few of them came from. There was an incredible amount of attention paid to not only language development, but religious studies, ethnographic history, and study abroad to an Arabic speaking country- all of which were meant to gear the students for a life pursuing academic research in the Middle East. Several of the students I spoke to were eagerly anticipating going abroad for their third and final year (a requirement for graduation) and a vast majority of them were from different regions of the world. Most spoke fluent English and were well versed in current international events. Personally, I felt completely at ease with the Sciences Po Menton students, and many of my friends in UChicago did as well. Our interaction with them along with a tour they provided for us
through Menton was the highlight of our visit there.
The student population of Sciences Po at Menton is very small and indeed after a few minutes of conversation we immediately received the feeling of a close knit and supportive community. Even students who were studying there temporarily naturally considered themselves a part of the Sciences Po family. The quaint university paralleled well with the quaint town. Students take classes together, live together, dine together, learn languages with support, and most important had similar overall academic as well as life interests. I received a wave of acceptance and tolerance the very diverse group that was before me.
After this visit, I did not at all want to leave. A few of us UChicago students stayed behind for the weekend and explored Nice, but Menton remains to be the pearl of my experiences in France.
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