Study Away: Trinity-in-Barcelona!

The Trinity-in-Barcelona Global Learning Site offers students the opportunity to spend a semester or full year of study in the dynamic city of Barcelona, Spain. From the time of Picasso and Gaudi, Barcelona has stood at the cutting edge of modern art and architecture. It has also been a model for contemporary urban innovation and renewal. Barcelona’s long and rich history, couples with its vibrant cosmopolitan pulse, provides students with many opportunities for the exploration of art, Hispanic studies, and urban cultural issues. Students experience both the Spanish and Catalan cultures in this fully bilingual – and multicultural – city.

The City

Barcelona is the capital city of Catalunya, a unique region in the northeast of Spain. The city is located on the Mediterranean Sea, yet it is also close to the Pyrenees Mountains and the French border. Barcelona was the site of the great Roman metropolis, and the present-day city dates back to the 9^th century when the first independent Count of Barcelona was established. The Catalan language and culture are a source of pride to the Catalan people. Led recently by the renaissance that began with the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona is in the midst of dynamic change, with entire districts undergoing renovation. Originally developed as a series of largely self-contained neighborhoods – each with its distinct identity and function – Barcelona is surprisingly east to navigate. From its medieval Gothic quarter and historic old town to its world-famous art nouveau buildings and futuristic architecture near the harbor, Barcelona is a city of contrasts and unrivaled artistic beauty and diversity.

The Program

The program combines Trinity College-taught classes based at the Trinity program space and Spanish university classes based at the University of Pompeu Fabra (UPF). All students on the program take a program core course, Barcelona: the Global and Local, which examines the culture, history, politics, and art of Barcelona and the region of Catalunya. Students also take a short, intensive Spanish language course at UPF upon arrival in Barcelona. Upon completion of the class, they have the option of taking advanced semester Spanish language or beginning Catalan. They enroll in 1-3 classes at UPF that are taught in Spanish, choosing from courses in the humanities, social sciences, public policy and law, and economics. Students take a combination of regular university courses and courses taught specifically for international students on Spanish and European culture, history, politics, literature, and theater, and other areas. Students have the option of taking a .50 credit internship course that gives them firsthand experience working in a local NGO and other organizations. The program is appropriate for students from all majors who have an interest in Spain and Barcelona.

Studio Arts Option:

Studio Arts students interested in studying in Barcelona can participate in the Arcadia University program in Barcelona, www.arcadia.edu/cea, and do an independent study in Painting or Drawing with Trinity affiliate faculty and consult, artist Jo Milne. Contact the Office of International Programs or Faculty Sponsor Pablo Delano for further information.

In Development:

The Trinity-in-Barcelona program is expanding to include options for students with intermediate Spanish. Advanced students will study at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, while intermediate students will study at the UPF. Contact the OIP for more details!

The University

The University of Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is one of Spain’s highest-ranked and most selective educational institutions. UPF has an enrollment of 7,200 and is a modern, international university located in Central Barcelona that is five minutes walking from Trinity space. It was founded in 1990 by the Autonomous Catalonia Government, and offers 4-year degrees, Master’s degrees, and PhDs in the social sciences and humanities. The three main buildings of the UPF’s Ciutadella Campus consist of two huge former barracks and a brick water tower, which has been converted to the UPF library. Some of UPF’s departments have been spread to other locations and have catalyzed the urban regeneration of these areas.

Program prerequisites

The program is open to students with a strong grade-point average (2.7 or higher) and a solid proficiency in reading, writing and speaking Spanish.  The program normally requires four to five semesters of college-level Spanish or approval from the Trinity faculty sponsor. In addition, Trinity students who are able to do so should take HISP 233-04, The Alchemy of Identity: Culture-Planning and Civil Society in Barcelona, 1850-2000, prior to studying on the program.

Program dates:

Fall Semester: early-September – late-December

Spring Semester: early January – early-May

Who’s who on-site

On-Site Director Carlota Torrents

Carlota Torrents was born in Barcelona, studied Catalan Studies at the University of Barcelona, and English Literature for a year at the Rijks Universiteit (Holland). Following her Master in Publishing she has worked for many years as editor and publisher and at the Catalan Ministry for Culture developing different cultural projects. She is fluent in Catalan, Spanish, and English. She has also worked as an instructor at Universitat de Vic and Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Core Course Professor, Jaume Subirana

Jaume Subirana is a Catalan writer and scholar born in Barcelona. He has taught at the Humanities Departments of Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Barcelona), and was a visiting scholar at Duke University (1996). He is presently the responsible for Lletra (www.uoc.edu/lletra), the reference website on Catalan literature. He has published both non-fiction prose and poetry books, and was awarded the Carles Riba and the Ferran Soldevila prizes.

Program Consulant, Jo Milne

Professor Milne leads the excursion to Madrid and lectures about the arts in Barcelona. She also is available to do an independent study in painting or drawing with students pursuing the Studio Arts option through Arcadia University. Educated and trained at Edinburgh University, Edinburgh College of Art, and the Camberwell College of Art at the London Institute, Jo Milne is an accomplished artist and educator who has lived and worked in Barcelona for many years.

Housing and meals

All students on the program live with Spanish families. Homestays are an integral component of the program that enable students to rapidly improve their Spanish language proficiency while learning about the culture and people of Barcelona. Students eat breakfast and dinner with their host families and prepare their own lunches or eat in local restaurants or cafes.

Expenses/ Financial Aid

Students participating in the Barcelona Global Learning Site are billed for Trinity tuition, housing, and fees. Students who receive financial aid from Trinity College will have that aid transferred to the Global Learning Site semester. Application for the transfer of financial aid must be made early and in consultation with the Office of Financial Aid.

Application Information

All Trinity students who wish to study away are required to submit a Request for Approval to Study Away by the first week of December of the academic year prior to study. Upon approval, students must then submit a program application which is available from the Office of International Programs in 66 Vernon Street. Once accepted, all students will receive a program handbook that includes details on visas, finances, health issues, and other relevant information.

For general questions, contact:

Office of International Programs

Trinity College

66 Vernon Street

Hartford, CT 06106

Phone: 860-297-2005

Fax: 860-297-5218

oip@trincoll.edu

For academic questions, contact the Faculty Sponsors:

Trinity College Department of Language and Culture Studies: Associate Professor Thomas Harrington, thomas.harrington@trincoll.edu, Associate Professor, Fine Arts, Pablo Delano, pablo.delano@trincoll.edu

Program Highlights

• Students have 24 hour access to the program space in Central Barcelona, including computer facilities
• The program features a weekend study trip to Madrid and Segovia or other city, excursions in and around Barcelona, and a trip to rural Catalunya.
• Students participate in walking tours, visits to museums, sports events, and other cultural activities.
• A Spanish student mentor helps students adjust to Spanish academic and social life, and students also have the option of being matched with a Spanish student language partner.