University of Toronto students hiking in England.
Over the summer of 2016 I was fortunate enough to participate in the UofT Summer Abroad Program. As a part of the program, me and several other UofT students went to study at Oxford University for a month. There were a variety of different courses offered, each taught by a UofT professor. I was enrolled in the POL380 course, a political science course that delves into various topics of international relations depending on the Professor.
Our class was taught by Professor Wendy Wong, and focused on issues human rights and the global human rights project. Being in Oxford enabled me to think more seriously about alternative career possibilities outside of law. Through the course and program, we were able to meet various scholars and researchers in the field of human rights and humanitarian intervention, such as Stephen Hopgood. In addition, to meeting various scholars, we had the opportunity to attend various field trips. Our first field trip was to the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, where we got to see and observe some of the earlier human rights projects, such as the abolishment of slavery. In Liverpool, we also had the opportunity to observe how much of the city’s architecture and urban development reflected its past relationship with slavery.
Furthermore, we also had the opportunity to visit Oxfam headquarters, one of the world’s oldest and largest NGOS. On our field trip to Oxfam, we had the ability to attain a better understanding of Oxfam’s role in humanitarian projects and human rights development. On the weekends my friends and I would travel to various part of the UK. On our first weekend we went to the White Cliffs of Dover, which was sight to behold. The cliffs were natural wonders, and my friends and I enjoyed a four-hour hike.
PCJ students Josh Gold and Bamdad Attaran at Stonehenge.
On our second weekend, my friends and I went to Salisbury, which is considered one of the oldest cities in the UK and the world. In Salisburywe had the chance to see an original copy of Magna Carta, which is highly fascinating for any political science student. In addition we went to see Stonehenge. On our fourth weekend my friends and I went to Edinburgh, just in time for their renowned annual Fringe Fest. During our stay in Edinburgh we went to see the world champions of Acapella. We also had the chance to try the famous Scottish dish known as haggis. Overall, the summer abroad program was by far one of my best university experiences and I would recommend it to everyone.
This program and the international experience provide valuable insight to the role of human rights and humanitarianism in the study of peace and conflict, and are thus extremely valuable to students especially in the field of PCJ.