SIT Study Abroad South Africa: International Relations in the Global South
Explore non-western perspectives on South-South and continental relations through lectures, visits, and internships involving diplomats, activists, and intellectuals in South Africa and Mozambique.
WHY STUDY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH?
This program offers an opportunity to learn non-western perspectives in the fields of international and South-South relations and to examine broad policy questions in sub-Saharan Africa through the lenses of youth employment, conflict, and poverty. An introduction to South African politics sets the groundwork for the program focus on international relations and foreign policy, providing an opportunity for you to engage in major contemporary debates in the Global South.
We examine the African Union and other continental influencers including international organizations and non-state actors, and we look at how BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) has emerged as an alternative power block on the global political stage. Central to the program is the opportunity to intern at an internationally acclaimed NGO such as the Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), Institute for Security Studies (ISS), or the South African Institute of International Affairs.
You will visit the Luthuli Museum, former home of the first Black Nobel Prize winner, and the home of Mahatma Gandhi, whose political consciousness was shaped in South Africa. Learn about the role of NGOs in international relations on excursions to Cape Town and Maputo, Mozambique, which offered frontline state solidarity to South Africa during apartheid.
Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.
MONEY MATTERS
SIT is an all-inclusively priced study abroad program – including academics costs, excursions, accommodations and meals, airport transfers, and health insurance. Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor and read the website for more specific information.
SCHOLARSHIPS
SIT has awarded an average of over $1.3 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students in the past three years. All scholarships and grants are need-based. Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.
CONTACT SIT STUDY ABROAD
NOTE: SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, like COVID-19, SIT may have to modify programs. Visit the SIT website for more details.
Explore the politics and culture of rapidly changing South Africa, as well as Swaziland and Mozambique, while engaging with renowned artists and intellectuals.
WHY STUDY CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA?
More than two decades into democracy, South Africa continues to struggle with the legacy of apartheid. With the highest income inequality in the world, South Africa is still transforming its political, educational, economic, and health sectors. In the historic coastal city of Durban, you’ll explore the history and dismantling of apartheid and visions for the country’s future. Choose from one of three program tracks. On the journalism track, you’ll work with award-winning journalists at Times Media Group in Cape Town to carry out the full scope of story development, from identifying and researching story ideas, determining newsworthiness, finding sources, working with editors, and adhering to the highest standards of journalism. On the internship track, you’ll gain professional experience in an international setting. And, on the research track, you’ll conduct field research and produce a substantive academic paper. Travel to Mozambique, which played a central role in South Africa’s journey to liberate itself from apartheid. Visit the Luthuli Museum, former home of the first African Nobel Peace Prize winner. Tour the Mandela House in Johannesburg and the Phoenix Settlement in Durban, home of the late Mohandas Gandhi. You will also see a wide range of exotic animals on safari in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Witness the mechanics and dismantling of South Africa’s apartheid system.
- Travel to Mozambique for eight days to learn about its role in the struggle.
- Visit the homes of the late Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi, and others.
- Observe lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffes, and zebras on safari.
PREREQUISITES
None. For the journalism track, strong writing skills and an interest in journalism are essential. A writing sample may be required as part of the admissions process.
Please visit the
SIT Study Abroad website for details on the
program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.
KEY TOPICS OF STUDY
- Apartheid and emerging visions for post-apartheid South Africa
- Individual vs popular memory; the role of memory in healing trauma
- Reconciliation through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Roles of civil society, education, and media in nation-building
- The challenges of transition
- Gender and social change
MONEY MATTERS
Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.
SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:
- All educational costs, including educational excursions
- All accommodations and meals for the full program duration
- Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions
- Health and accident insurance
SCHOLARSHIPS
- SIT awards nearly $1.6 million in scholarships and grants annually.
- All scholarships and grants are need-based.
- Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000 for semester programs.
- Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.
CONTACT SIT STUDY ABROAD