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Department of Public Policy Leadership
University of Mississippi

Study Abroad

To prepare students for positions of leadership in an increasingly complex world and emphasize the global nature of responsible decision making, we encourage our students to study abroad.

Many students study abroad

  • by selecting a program through the UM Office of Study Abroad
  • through funded/organized through grant programs, or
  • with our own Public Policy Leadership/Lott Leadership Institute faculty-led programs.

We provide opportunities for PPL students to earn credit while gaining international experience through faculty-led Summer Study Abroad Program.  We have traveled to China, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, and other countries over the years. Enrollment  and eligibility for scholarships are limited to students majoring in PPL, who earn six credit hours (PPL 496) toward the major.

Click here for more information regarding the PPL Faculty-Led Summer Abroad Program.


 

Through the Office of Study Abroad

Ella EndorfElla Endorf
Salerno, Italy

“I spent a month in Salerno learning about the rich culture and history of southern Italy, taking Italian classes, and conversing exclusively in Italian with my host family. I walked on the lungomare, or seafront, on the way to class each morning and spent my afternoons at the beach or shopping. On weekends, I traveled the Campania region, visiting Naples, Pompeii, and Caserta—known as the ‘Italian Versailles.’

“When I wasn’t studying or traveling, I explored Salerno. From the Giardino della Minerva, I saw the entire city spread in front of me with terracotta shingles and the Bay of Salerno sparkling in the afternoon sun. I will never forget the experience.”

 

Mason MyersMason Myers
Melbourne, Australia

“Studying for a semester in Melbourne, Australia, was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done at Ole Miss. I took interesting classes involving Australian foreign policy and culture, joined a sports club, traveled all over Australia and New Zealand, and made lifelong friends.

“I was nervous about being so far from home but I grew as a person and experienced so much.  Studying abroad challenged me and broadened my perspective of the world.”

 


 

Grant-funded Study Abroad Examples

Ainsley AshAinsley Ash
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Ash, a public policy leadership major, was the first from the University of Mississippi to receive a Fulbright Summer Institute grant to the U.K. The highly selective program chooses college freshmen or sophomores from the U.S. to study for a summer at select colleges in the United Kingdom.

In a month-long seminar called “Education for Transformation” at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ash engaged in lectures, seminars and study visits to examine methods of driving educational change.

“Just as Mississippi continues to recover from its painful history of race relations, Northern Ireland works to mend the divisions that arose from The Troubles,” Ash said. “By studying this parallel, I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the role that equitable education can play in the peace-building process. This exposure was incredibly beneficial to conversations in and outside of the classroom.”

 

Jillian Cowart

Senegal family eating together in the traditional manner. Senegal. Africa.

Jillian Cowart (BA French, International Studies, Public Policy Leadership ’15)
Senegal

Using a $5,000 Barksdale Award to support “creative and courageous” thesis projects from the university’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Cowart interviewed farmers in Senegal to learn what effect local farming has on the local economy for her honors thesis on the role of local food systems in rural development.  The Barksdale funding allowed her to conduct a comparative study between farmers’ markets in Sokone, Senegal, and Cleveland, Mississippi.

“My hypothesis is that the Senegalese population in local food systems might provide a model that could be used in the Mississippi Delta. The country’s pursuit of food security and lack of a global food system will make for an interesting case study. Local food systems can be used to significantly develop rural economies.”

To read more about the Barksdale Award and Cowart’s project: https://libarts.olemiss.edu/two-students-pursue-dreams-in-senegal-midwest-and-southern-u-s

 

Tyler Yarbrough
Cape Town, South Africa

Tyler Yarbrough is a receipt of the prestigious Stamps Scholarship, which provides a full cost of attendance scholarship as well as $12,000 in enrichment funds for opportunities such as study abroad.

“The Stamps Scholarship has given me the opportunity to study in Cape Town, South Africa. Focused on studying before and after apartheid, I plan to enhance my experience by creating video stories gauging the opinions of native South Africans surrounding their current debates on land reform. Although apartheid has officially ended, the black population remains at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, often residing in underdeveloped, segregated urban townships, where homes resemble shacks made of scrap metal. What South Africa does to reconcile their history has the potential to affect public policy throughout the world—even in the Mississippi Delta, where broad similarities exist.”

For more about Yarbrough’s experience:  https://libarts.olemiss.edu/cultivating-leaders-tyler-yarbrough/


 

PPL Faculty-led Programs

Mexico
Czech Republic
Israel
China
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South Africa
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Simple links: Mexico | Czech Republic | Israel | China | South Africa