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Message from the Director
Strasbourg is a fantastic city, as you will soon see for yourself. As the director of the BCA program in Strasbourg, I get to be the one to show the city when you arrive.
This semester I will take you to eat tarte flambée in a 400-year old half timbered house in the old city, walk you along the windy canals in La Petite France and take you on a bike trip across the Rhine into Germany (just a mile away). We will take in some historic sites in the area, like the World War I battlefields in Verdun still filled with unexploded mines,the celtic temple at Le Donon in the Vosges forests, or the vaulted cellars of the Hôpital Civil which have the oldest cask in the world, still filled with wine from 1472.
But you won’t just see France when you are here, you are going to experience it as well. I have placed all of you with French host families that I know personally, or at university dorms where I know there is a good mix of foreign and French students. You will have plenty of opportunities to get to know French students at the university, through your host families or dorms. The cultural events calendar is packed with festivals, concerts, professional sports, and more. I can help you find opportunities to volunteer your time, or get involved with a student association. Those of you who choose the IFE internship track will have a chance to learn about an NGO or government agency firsthand. BCA students will be here this spring when Strasbourg plays host to the NATO summit and dozens of world leaders. The BCA student conference in Strasbourg in March will be a great experience for you to learn about the changing relationship between Europe and the United States from speakers from all over Europe.
More importantly, you will learn a lot about yourself during your time in Strasbourg. You will experience a different way of seeing the world. The French have a very different understanding about things like the role of government, the place of religion in society, and the importance of social responsibility. Simple things like friendship, work, and commitment don’t mean the same things here as in the U.S. You will see this first-hand. As your French improves, you will grasp nuances in meaning that you didn’t before.
à très bientôt,
Alex Neff
BCA Director - Strasbourg
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