Cara Williams

Last semester, I studied abroad via the Syracuse University Exploring Central Europe Program. Though the program was based in Wroclaw, Poland, I spent a substantial amount of time traveling with my program across Poland and the broader region – including cities like Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Warsaw as well as small towns in the Polish countryside. I took classes in history, philosophy, political science, anthropology, and a Polish language course (though I cannot say I am good at speaking the language still). Two of my courses involved travel with professors that were experts in their field. I had the privilege of studying with Konstanty Gebert, a Polish journalist who worked with the Polish underground to take down communism and continues to speak out about antisemitism in Poland. I met with many NGOs and community activists and interned with a think tank called the College of Eastern Europe, or Kolegium Europy Wschodniej.

I was surprised how much I was lacking the European perspective of WWII. WWII has shaped modern international relations and is always something in the background of my classwork. In Poland, students are taught about Germany’s war crimes in terms of the killing of Poles rather than the killing of Jews worldwide, for example, and are surprised to learn that Americans learn about the war with the Jewish genocide at the forefront. Learning about WWII from the perspective of Germans as well as central and eastern Europeans has allowed me to engage with my courses differently and have better context to understand world history and modern-day politics.

One thing I would like to highlight about this program was the opportunity to write and publish articles via the website urbanlabsce.eu – I currently have three pieces published there. This opportunity developed my love of writing and I am planning to continue to write about my travels and research.

This award allowed me to enjoy this experience to the fullest – I was able to always say yes to new experiences whether it be visiting a traditional restaurant, a museum, or traveling to a city for a day. I also completed the Honors course substitution during this semester and now have a journal to look back on to reflect on some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

This semester emphasized many things for me. One of which is the importance of history – I have always preferred learning about theory and current political systems to history, and my time in Poland showed me how deeply history haunts and affects modern-day politics. I want to take more history classes in my last few semesters at Syracuse University to expand my knowledge before entering the workforce. Another thing emphasized to me this semester is the role that local activists take in their community. One of my courses called Art, Social Action and the City, which was led by local faculty in Wroclaw, met weekly with local NGOs or activists to discuss their work. Community activism makes genuine impacts in people’s lives and should not be underplayed when studying international relations.

My cohort was the last to participate in this program – Syracuse abroad has now cancelled the program due to low enrollment. I want to thank the Syracuse Abroad staff both in Syracuse and in Wroclaw that allowed me to flourish. Program Juliet Golden was one of the best professors I have ever had; I cannot say enough good things about her. I hope that more students will be interested in this program so Syracuse can continue the program in future years.