SATA Vietnam

The streets of Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam will once again be the campus for a small group of Connecticut College students during Spring semester, 2009. This will be the eighth SATA program in Vietnam and will be directed by Leah Lowe, Associate Professor of Theater, and Don Peppard, Professor of Economics.

SATA Vietnam offers students the chance to become immersed in the life of a developing country whose history is intrinsically interesting and at the same time inseparably a part of major currents in world affairs. Colonialism and its aftermath, the Cold War, Confucianism and Communism, war and revolution, globalization: all are manifest in the atmosphere of Hanoi. SATA Vietnam's academic program takes full advantage of its setting, which will enrich the education of students interested in the arts, history, cultural studies, economics, international relations, Asian studies, environmental studies, and American studies, among others.

Informational Meetings

There will be two meetings in the Fall 2007 semester for interested students. The dates for these meetings are 1 November in Fanning 306, and 7 November, in Winthrop 105, both at 7:00 pm. Be alert for notices around campus. In the spring semester of 2008, there will be several additional informational meetings for students who may be interested in SATA Vietnam 2009. Watch for announcements of meetings in February, April, and May.

Arrangements

As in all SATA programs, each student's financial arrangements and obligations, mainly the comprehensive fee and financial aid, are the same as they would be if he or she were staying at Connecticut College for the semester. The SATA Vietnam 2009 program includes round-trip travel from New York, room and board in Vietnam, and all group field trips in Vietnam. In Hanoi, students live in an international students' dormitory situated in one of the university complexes. Typically, students have single rooms with private bath and air-conditioning.

Courses offered in 2009

Students of all majors are encouraged to apply to this program. Lowe and Peppard will work with interested students to assist them in course selection.

Vietnamese Language and Culture -- 6 credits. Required of all students. Each class has only 3 to 5 students and meets for 2.5 hours each morning, Monday through Thursday. Students learn from a textbook and close interaction with the teachers from Vietnam National University (VNU). Emphasis is on speaking and listening competence. Guided by their language instructors, students in this course are introduced to the life and culture of Vietnam.

Vietnamese History -- 4 credits. Required of all students. Taught by a professor of history from VNU, this course introduces students to the long and rich history of Vietnam. 1 meeting per week.

Elective courses (each course meets once a week for 2.5 hours):

ECO 216 The Political Economy of Post-War Vietnam -- 4 credits. This course covers the recent economic history of Vietnam and introduces students to the remarkable changes that have occurred since 1986. The course also includes survey work in the informal sector of Hanoi's economy. (Peppard)

ECO 406 Political Economy Seminar -- 4 credits. The course will consider a variety of readings. Students will write weekly papers and 2-3 longer papers. (Peppard)

THE   141 The Art of Theater --4 credits. Through readings, films, and attendance at live theatrical events, students in this course will use traditional and contemporary performance forms as a lens through which to examine Vietnamese culture. (Lowe)

THE 340 Seminar in Theater --4 credits. Drawing on perspectives developed by interdisciplinary performance studies scholars and theorists, this course will explore aspects of "performance" in real life. As travelers in Vietnam, students will explore and analyze topics such as performances of nationality suggested by various sites they visit, the cultural dynamics of tourism, and the representations of our shared historical pasts. (Lowe)

Schedule, Travel, Excursions

SATA Vietnam 2009 students will depart as a group from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on approximately January 14, 2009. In Hanoi, they will follow an academic calendar similar to that of Connecticut College.

In addition to classes, there will be day trips to local sites of historical and cultural interest, and at least two longer trips. A highlight of the program is a 12-16-day spring break trip to sites in central and southern Vietnam and possibly Cambodia. During that trip, students will visit Hue, the ancient imperial capital of Vietnam; Hoi An, a quaint old fishing town; Nha Trang, a lovely beach resort city; and Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. In HCMC, students can sample life in the most modern of Vietnam's cities and visit sites associated with the war in Vietnam. Later in the semester, there will be a 4-day trip to the northern mountain town of Sapa.

The end of the semester, like the beginning, will closely coincide with that at Connecticut College. Students will be ticketed to depart Hanoi around May 11, 2009, for their return to the US but are free to arrange for later departure or rerouting, subject to current airline rules and regulations, at their own initiative and expense.