Welcome Letter

Dear Student:

Welcome to the Columbia-Penn Program in Paris.

Studying abroad is a transformative experience for many students. From an academic perspective, those who attend our program not only acquire the language skills necessary to work in a French academic environment, but they also confront new forms of thinking and learn different critical approaches to course subjects. Many return home with a renewed sense of self and a greater understanding of the direction in which they want to focus their studies.

Drawing upon the resources of the city, our program helps students gain both the knowledge and the confidence necessary to live and communicate in a French-speaking environment. It is designed for students who also wish to broaden their understanding of France 's sociocultural heritage, its position in the European community and the Francophone world, and its role in global politics and international relations.

Students not only have a wide variety of opportunities for language instruction, but they can select intellectually challenging courses in French history, political science, art history, literature, philosophy, gender and colonial studies, as well as in math and the sciences. Classes are taught by French scholars either at Reid Hall or in the French university system. Qualified students are required to attend classes at a French university and are provided with the academic support necessary to work efficiently in the French academic world.

In addition to their courses, students also benefit from extensive support services ranging from individual tutorials to workshops, site visits and excursions, and a variety of extracurricular activities such as plays, operas and shows, as well as culinary and gastronomical workshops. A host of information on volunteer work, internships, sports activities, and cultural outings is also provided. Events, sites, and special interest groups in Paris are an integral component of the academic experience and French students are increasingly solicited to form cultural partnerships with students and to participate in activities.

Our entire staff is committed to making students' experience's well rounded and fulfilling, with the knowledge that their time in France will be one of discovery and growth.

A bientôt, we hope!

Brunhilde Biebuyck
Director of Studies, Columbia-Penn Program in Paris
Director of Reid Hall