Students Go Beyond the Classroom with Summer Global Experiences
Essay
Students Go Beyond the Classroom with Summer Global Experiences
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his summer, students embarked on a variety of Education Abroad programs, both established and newly introduced, that challenged them to explore the real-world impact of their studies within diverse cultural contexts. Immersed in these unique environments, they gained fresh perspectives that enriched their academic and personal growth.
Buonconsiglio Palace, Trento, Trentino, Italy. Photo: Zoe Gordiyenko
For nearly half a century, UVA Architecture’s Vicenza program has taken students on a deep dive into the architecture of Andrea Palladio. Palladian architecture is an excellent starting point for learning to draw, explained Luis Pancorbo, professor of architecture and one of the course instructors. “The essential geometry and austere ornamentation of Palladian architecture helps beginners to learn how to draw step by step.” Students can quickly learn basic techniques and focus on the concepts and qualities of the works they are studying.
The act of drawing is a central part of the program as both a learning tool and a pause in the frantic pace of cultural visits and tours. Students must stop and engage with their surroundings. “The repetition of this act of drawing allows the students to observe patterns and relationships both particular to the place and those that are universal to human occupation,” Pancorbo noted. Fourth-year architecture student Chase Watts reflected on the transformative power of this exercise, “I soon got to the point where I recognized which architects contributed to which buildings because I sketched the same details so frequently.”
Students drawing in Villa Saraceno, Finale, Vicenza, Italy (Andrea Palladio). Photo: Luis Pancorbo
Over time, the program has also evolved from a purely architecture-focused study abroad to a multidisciplinary exploration of Italian culture and heritage conservation. Pancorbo explained that he and co-instructor and professor of Architecture Ines Martin Robles opened the scope of the visits to include more landscape and urban design-focused drawing locations. The addition of visits to sites at various stages of restoration—from the fully restored Villa Rotonda to the almost untouched state of Villa Gazzotti-Grimani— gives a glimpse into the efforts involved in maintaining Italy's vast architectural heritage.
Watts found it surprising how accepting the Italians were of the students and how curious they were about the work. “There wasn't a day that went by where a friendly local wouldn't come up to ask what we were doing,” he commented. This warm reception extended into the academic atmosphere as well. When the program was invited to a Palladian-architecture symposium, the students were also able to sit with Italian scholars and local authorities to listen to Martin Robles as she delivered a lecture on UVA's relationship with the Veneto and Palladio, giving students a chance to hear from Italian perspectives and see the relationship with their own cultural context.
Looking forward, the program plans to introduce digital tools like iPads with hand-drawing software. While this technological shift aims to update the program, it is also carefully designed to retain the hands-on nature that defines it.
View of Balos Lagoon from the top of the the Gramvousa fortress, during the program retreat.
User Experience Lessons in Greece
In 2019, shortly after joining UVA, computer science professor Panagiotis Apostolellis noticed a gap in his department’s existing curriculum: there were no faculty-led study abroad programs. In response, Apostolellis designed a course whose first iteration took off in Summer 2024. The UVA in Greece: Creative Interaction Design course aims to push students beyond conventional problem-solving. In this applied program, students use knowledge and skills from their pre-requisite course, Human-Computer Interaction in Software Development, on top of newly taught techniques used by professional interaction designers. “The main objectives were that students identify problem opportunities in an unfamiliar context and come up with creative solutions,” he explained. With the backdrop of Crete, students were tasked to design interactive systems that enhance the visitor experience, effectively acting as both tourists and local designers.
The program’s collaboration with local experts from Bizrupt, a business incubation space, and the Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) is a key element. “Local collaborators were brought in to offer their expertise and key insights in the process of designing interactive systems from different perspectives,” Apostolellis noted. Co-instructor Dimitris Grammenos, a principal researcher in CS at FORTH and an expert in creativity as a teachable skill, augmented the course with playful activities that encourage creative thinking. These collaborations enable students to benefit from a broader view of design that involves technical feasibility, business viability, and product desirability for real users, all key elements of design thinking innovation.
Photo-op from outside Ideon Andron, the birthplace-cave of Zeus
A memorable moment from the course involved a student team addressing accessibility challenges in Heraklion, Crete’s capital and the host city for the program. Initially, they proposed an app that could identify poorly maintained pavements for disabled users. “Even though a great idea in theory, this idea imposed significant constraints in accessing users for seeking input during the design process—not many disabled tourists visit Heraklion—but more importantly, the conditions are that bad that there’s rarely an alternative route,” detailed Apostolellis. This real-time learning experience underscored a critical lesson: not all good ideas are feasible, and understanding the local context is crucial for effective design. The course benefited from the cultural experience in multiple ways.
Apostolellis noted that multiple students observed that Greece is a much more collectivist culture than the US. “Greek people will seek every opportunity to greet each other and even engage in brief discussions, no matter the contexts,” exclaimed the instructor. He concluded, “It is my true hope that some students will bring this attitude in their life in the US, maintaining some Greekness from their time in Crete!” The program’s unique combination of on-the-ground training, creativity workshopping, and cultural immersion not only equips students with practical skills but also encourages them to adopt a more holistic, human-centered approach to designing interactive technologies for a global audience.
Students on a hike at Boiling Lake in Dominica
Social Meets Sustainable in the Island Community of Dominica
The UVA in Dominica program offers an eye-opening exploration of social entrepreneurship and innovation in small island developing states (SIDS). SIDS house over 65 million people globally and share the traits of remoteness, small populations, dependence on ocean resources, reliance on imports, limited access to finance, and vulnerability to climate change impacts, all of which challenge their ability to achieve sustainable development. The course was conceptualized to give students firsthand experience with the unique obstacles faced by these communities, as well as the unique opportunities. "Dominica has stood out to me as a country that could leverage its natural resources to develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem that promotes sustainable development," shared Bevin Etienne, a UVA professor of commerce who designed and leads the program. The course allows students to work directly with local entrepreneurs, providing them with practical experience in developing resilient business strategies.
For third-year computer science and tech entrepreneurship student Sanjitha Prabakaran, this experience in Dominica reshaped her understanding of her field of study, emphasizing the importance of embedding sustainability in entrepreneurship. "You don’t have to be an environmental science major or work at a non-profit to make an impact; you just make it a core value in any venture that you pursue," Prabakaran explained. Working with her team, she learned to consider not just the financial aspects of business decisions, but also the environmental impact, such as the carbon footprint of transporting goods to Dominica.
Students (from left to right) Lucas Fuller, Alex Rea, Sylvia Rahim, Sanjitha Prabakaran, and Jessica Lin presenting their work with Toloma Women in Action.
Prabakaran’s team worked closely with Toloma Women in Action, which empowers women through creative and expansive production of arrowroot (toloma). The experience felt like being an integral part of the enterprise. “Feeling the enthusiasm of my teammates and the women of TWA made me feel like I was also a part of this initiative, not just a student putting together a presentation to fulfill requirements for a class.” This hands-on experience provided the students with a deeper understanding of how resilience and community engagement are essential in business strategies, especially in environments susceptible to climate and economic disruptions.
Prabakaran also found profound value in the cultural immersion offered by the course. Engaging with Dominica's warm and hospitable communities, she experienced firsthand the importance of social connections and mutual support. “People in Dominica have the strongest spirits, unbothered by frivolous aesthetics Americans obsess over and building communities where every person feels seen and loved” she recalled. This experience not only enriched her academic understanding but also reinforced her personal values of community and kindness, leaving a lasting impact on how she aims to conduct herself both professionally and personally.
