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Summer Abroad Chile - Instructor

Human Rights, Memory and Democracy

Michael Lazzara

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Spanish and Portuguese

I have been a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UCD since 2004 and regularly teach courses on contemporary Latin American literature, culture, and film.  Summer Abroad has offered me the opportunity to make the world my classroom, and the experience has been unforgettable. I love sharing with my students the knowledge and contacts I have gained during nearly 30 years of traveling to Chile for study and research. I am amazed each year at the depth of reflection and commitment that study abroad inspires among students. Students who have participated in the Chile program in the past have gone on to study and work in law, public policy, journalism, education, human rights, and other fields that directly relate to the course I teach. It is always a special moment when students tell me that their career choice was in some way impacted by what they learned in Chile. It is just amazing to see how Summer Abroad, in ways small or large, changes lives!  Nothing is as invigorating as learning "hands on," in context. Life is simply richer when one learns to see through other eyes.

A Message to Students and Parents

I am excited that you have expressed interest in spending this summer in Santiago, Chile and that some have already begun the application process. I have planned an unforgettable experience for them—a first-hand experiential seminar (in English) that will introduce them to the last 75 years of Chile’s history, politics and culture. On a personal note, I have been traveling to Chile for nearly 30 years and have lived there for significant periods of time, and I can honestly say that it is one of the most beautiful and historically fascinating places in South America! Towering mountains, immense glaciers, active volcanoes, miles of picturesque coastlines, fabulous skiing, hiking galore, bustling modern cities and friendly people: Chile has it all! I can’t wait to share with the students all I have learned in my years of research and travel.

Our course will be based in Santiago, Chile’s capital and home to a third of the country’s population. In Santiago, students will live with host families in very safe residential neighborhoods with good proximity to the university. All the conveniences of home will be easily within reach (cyber-cafes, laundry services, ATMs, abundant shopping etc.), while at the same time students will be just steps away from Santiago’s modern subway system that can take them quickly and efficiently to anywhere, they want to go in the city. We will take excursions as a class to fun and interesting places like the towns of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar (on the Pacific coast), vineyards, the homes of Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, artisan villages, museums and important historical sites related to Chile’s periods of revolution, dictatorship and democratic transition. Some of these trips will be led by guest speakers, all of whom are experts in their fields. During our regular class time, we will have the opportunity to dialogue with politicians, artists, and academics who not only are leading voices on the cultural scene but protagonists of recent history.

So, as you can see, the great thing about this class will be its experiential quality. Instead of just reading about Chile’s recent history, students will live it and hear about it from the people who have made it!

If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.

This is going to be a great trip and an unforgettable academic and life experience!