My Summer Study Abroad at RIT Kosovo
This summer, I attended the Fredrick C. Cuny Peace & Conflict Summer Program at RIT Kosovo. The program consists of three parts:
- a regional trip
- summer intensive courses (3-9 credits),
- an optional internship that is organized by the Fredrick C. Cuny Center.
I participated in the first two parts in a regional trip and summer intensive courses. We would go to class during the day, meet a special guest in the evening, and then venture out into the city at night. One of our special guests was the 3rd President of Kosovo, President Jahjaga.
This photo features several notable individuals: President Jahjaga, wearing a striped dress; Director General Gashi, on the right in a textured tie; Mike Hess, President of RIT Kosovo, in the third row, second from the left; and Paul Hughes, a senior peacekeeping practitioner and professor, to the left of Professor Hess.
Around the Western Balkans in 7 Days
The regional trip was a whirlwind adventure, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. We traveled to four other countries in the Balkans. The Balkans are an ethnically diverse region of Central and Eastern Europe between Austria/Hungary, Italy, and Turkey. It is home to the former Yugoslavia (1918-1992).
Fun fact: Kosovo has a similar latitude to Rochester, New York. The Western Balkans, in general, has a similar summer climate to Rochester.
The Curriculum
After bonding on the regional trip, we settled down for our month of coursework. Something I wish I had known going into the program was how intense it would be. You were allowed to take up to three courses, taking place 5 days a week for 2 hours each. We had an awesome rotating cast of instructors; all of them were real-world practitioners in what they taught. On top of that, those instructors brought in guest speakers who were native to the region of the Balkans and who had studied at top universities around the globe.
The political violence and terrorism course opened my eyes to just how far back these issues stretch in human history. I was surprised to learn that terrorist tactics and political violence have been documented since biblical times. Other topics you could take a course on were peacekeeping. Learn more about the Fredrick C. Cuny Center
About the author
Greetings! My name is Westley-Morgan Thatcher but, if you see me around campus, you can just call me ‘Westley.’ I am originally from all over the West Coast. My favorite place that I’ve lived is probably Brush Prairie, Washington. It is a small town a few miles from the Columbia River. I am a junior in the School of Individualized Studies where I study the ‘Implications of AI in Security, Diplomacy, and Global Strategy.’ That’s just a fancy way of saying I study the impacts of new technologies in the ecosystem of security; incorporating geospatial technology and Russian language into the mix as well. I enjoyed my time in Rochester so much that I recently made the move to become a full time resident and plan to pursue a career here after I finish my degree. Rochester is my ‘home away from home’ and the hope is to write all about my experiences here since transferring to RIT in 2024. If you see me on campus, don’t be a stranger! Go Tigers!
