Information session for Spring Break Study Abroad in Northern Ireland to be held on Sept. 14

Applications will soon be accepted for the ninth annual Ohio University spring break study abroad program on Human Rights, Law & Justice in Northern Ireland.

Students are invited to a university-wide information session on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. Those interested may attend in person in Bentley 124, or join virtually via Teams.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply via the application portal. The application deadline is Saturday, Oct. 1.

Students from the 2020 Northern Ireland experience rank it as one of their top OHIO memories.

Haley Hautzinger ’21 said that in addition to touring museums, peace walls, and murals, "we also had the opportunity to interview ex-political prisoners, restorative justice practitioners, and human right lawyers. Many of these interactions were followed by further discussion in smaller groups back at the hotel; this is where we could process the information we were taking in." (Read her account of her first study abroad experience in spring 2020.) Hautzinger earned a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in Sociology-Criminology, and a Forensic Studies Certificate from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Gabrielle Tharp, a 2020 graduate student in the M.A. in Law, Justice & Culture program, participated in the Northern Ireland program before heading off to law school. "Studying abroad in Northern Ireland was one of the most incredible experiences I have had. I have studied abroad in India and Italy, but the Northern Ireland experience is totally unique. The whole group was great, and I am already plotting a trip back to the British Isles to keep exploring!” Read more about how Tharp started at OHIO as a pre-med, but found her passion for advocacy and then double majored in political science and history, with a Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Certificate.

The Office of Global Opportunities offers many scholarships and grants to help students fund global opportunities. There is a common application for these awards, with a deadline of Oct. 1.

For more information, contact Program Director Dr. Haley Duschinski, associate professor of anthropology in the College of Arts & Sciences, or Program Co-Director Larry Hayman, Esq. Center for Law, Justice & Culture assistant director and pre-law advisor.

Academic Credit

Students will earn OHIO credit for a course that focuses on the post-conflict transition of Northern Ireland after its long legacy of violence and human rights abuses. Students will learn about the current peace-building efforts, with much of the course material being drawn from on-site activities and interactions.

The 3-credit hour course, ANTH 4620, is open to undergraduate students in all majors and departments. It counts toward the anthropology major and minor requirements, the Law, Justice & Culture Certificate, the war and peace major and certificate programs, and the College of Arts & Sciences social science area requirement.

Graduate students may apply for the graduate section, ANTH 5620, for 4 credit hours.

About Human Rights, Law & Justice in Northern Ireland

"This spring break study abroad program was offered for eight years, from 2013-2020. We have been on hiatus for the past two years – and we are very excited to return with students to Northern Ireland in 2023," Duschinski said.

Northern Ireland is now going through a cultural and artistic renaissance as it emerges from decades of conflict, resistance, and armed struggle known locally as “the Troubles.” As a border region, Northern Ireland is also experiencing uncertainty and change associated with Brexit.

"This spring break study abroad program offers students the unique opportunity to explore human rights, law, and justice through an intensive nine-day study abroad experience in post-conflict Belfast and Derry," Duschinski said.

The program includes interactions with former combatants including Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) soldiers, human rights lawyers, ex-political prisoners, victims associations, and restorative justice practitioners, as well as visits to museums, former prisons, and non-governmental organizations.

Through interactions with local scholars, social activists, students, and human rights groups, students gain firsthand knowledge of peacekeeping and peace-building, human rights and peace activism, and the politics of truth, justice, and reconciliation in post-conflict Northern Ireland.