South Africa—City to Safari
Cape Town, South Africa
Arrive Date: TBD End Date: TBD
Program Overview
This program introduces students to the literature, history, cinema, and ecology of South Africa. We will study the phases of the country’s past: its pre-European history, colonial settlement, the apartheid and post-apartheid eras, reading books by Nobel prize winners Nadine Gordimer, J.M. Coetzee, and Nelson Mandela. The last two decades have witnessed a flowering of South African cinema and we’ll watch a selection of films that address recent political and cultural changes. The course includes field trips to museums, places of historical interest, and botanical parks and nature reserves around Cape Town. The last week takes place at Karongwe Lodge, a private game reserve bordering Kruger National Park, where we will observe plants, birds, and mammals in their natural habitats, including South Africa’s Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo.
Taught in: English
Max Enrollment: 24
Program Coordinator: Erin Schlemmer
Eric Schroeder
Program Instructor, University Writing Program
"Because of the transformative role education abroad played in my own life, my work as a Summer Abroad teacher aims to provide similar experiences in the lives of University of California students." Learn more...
Courses
English (ENL) 139. Topics in Global Literatures and Cultures (4 units)
English (ENL) 198. Directed Group Study (4 units, P/NP)
OR
African American and African Studies (AAS) 157. Literature and Society in South Africa (4 units)
African American and African Studies (AAS) 198. Directed Group Study (4 units, P/NP)
Program Highlights
- Study South African history and nature in the amazing and beautiful waterfront city of Cape Town and on safari at Karongwe, a private game reserve bordering Kruger National Park.
- Enjoy private tours with South African experts in Cape Town and Karongwe.
- See elephants, rhinoceroses, buffalos, giraffes, lions, leopards, and hippos! (Complete Mammal List)
- See over 100 species of birds.
- Visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner for 18 years.
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