Is this Program Right For You? The Center for Global Education at Augsburg College was established in 1982. The Center’s mission is to provide cross-cultural educational opportunities in order to foster critical analysis of local and global conditions so that personal and systemic changes take place leading to a more just and sustainable world.  “Nation Building, Globalization and Decolonizing the Mind: Southern African Perspectives” is a program designed for students eager to learn about Namibia and South Africa as they struggle to build nationhood and deal with the legacies of colonialism and apartheid.  The program addresses the challenges posed by globalization as well as under- and unequal development.  Decolonizing the mind is a long-term project students participate in.  Additionally, students can gain hands-on work experience in a development agency and earn credit in Political Science, Religion, Interdisciplinary Studies, or History.

The Namibia & South Africa program is based in Windhoek, Namibia, a modern city of 200,000 located in the geographical center of the country.  This program has an ethnically and culturally diverse staff of North American and Southern Africans who coordinate educational programs.  In addition, a diverse pool of individuals and organizations serves as community resources. 

The Courses/Program:  Participants take a number of set courses each term which include:
• Political and Social Change in Namibia: A Comparative Perspective
• Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and the U.S.
• The Development Process—Southern Africa
• Religion and Social Change in Southern Africa

The program aims to bring students face-to-face with the peoples, cultures and struggles for justice in another region of the world by providing participants with hands-on opportunities to meet and discuss current issues at the grassroots level.  This approach combined with course work seeks to expand participants’ worldviews and challenge their perceptions about global justice and human liberation, as well as furnish students with a life-changing experience and an entrée into an international career.

This program is an example of education which integrates solid academic work with real-life experiences, including internships and Independent Study.  It also offers diverse guest speakers allowing students to learn directly from local people involved in important issues of our time. Regional educational travel and a two-week group travel seminar to South Africa provide students an opportunity to broaden their perspectives in history, social and political struggles.  Short trips throughout Namibia, including the Western coast and the Etosha Game Reserve, are planned.

Housing: Dormitory-style living where students can reflect on their learning experiences. The program also features short home stays in Windhoek and in rural Namibia.

Duration:
• Fall: 15 weeks – Late August to mid December
• Spring: 15 weeks – Late January to early May
• Academic Year: This program is only a semester long. Students who elect to combine their semester in Namibia with either the Augsburg College programs in Mexico or Central America receive a 10% discount on the price of the second semester program.

Requirements:
• 3.0 GPA
• No foreign language requirement
• Language of instruction is English

Application Deadlines: Applications are accepted on a rolling admissions basis. Deadlines are October 15 (Spring term) and April 1 (Fall term). Enrollment is limited; early application is encouraged to ensure a place in the program.

Program Cost Includes: Tuition, full room and board, medical/emergency insurance, and in-country costs. Students are responsible for their own round-trip airfare to Namibia from the U.S, books and personal expenses.  For more information, please visit: www.centerforglobaleducation.org  Catalogues are available in ISAP’s Resource Rooms.  Pleasenote: The information on this sheet is for reference purposes only.  It is your responsibility to confirm details and deadlines.