Program Highlights

Program Dates

June 26 – July 24, 2027

Faculty Director

Jeff Spinner-Halev, Department of Political Science

Program Highlights

Starting in the United Kingdom offers us several pedagogical opportunities. London is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, yet it is also filled with nationalist symbols and icons, providing us with an interesting contrast. We will tour the Houses of Parliament, the Churchill War Rooms, and nearby monuments. We will visit the Imperial War Museum to see how Britain portrays itself and Germany in WWI. We will learn about the role of the empire in both world wars and about immigration into the UK from its former colonies. Finally, London is one of the most diverse cities in the West, and we will take time to explore that diversity and learn about multiculturalism in the U.K. We will tour London’s East End, the home of many immigrant communities over the centuries and one of the most diverse places in London today, and visit the Black cultural archives. These experiences will help us think through the interplay among national identity, immigration, and diversity.  

While in Budapest, we will examine how Hungary wrestles with its national identity in the aftermath of both world wars, how the fall of communism and the transition to democracy shaped Hungarian identity, and how immigration and the refugee crisis have challenged and changed Hungarian identity, all in comparison with Britain. Budapest is a breathtakingly beautiful city, divided by the Danube River, with the magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle, and the ornate Chain Bridge offering a stunning backdrop for our explorations. We will visit some of the iconic Budapest sites, like the Parliament and Heroes’ Square, and visit the Hungarian National Museum and the House of Terror — a powerful museum documenting life under fascist and communist regimes — to see how Hungary portrays its past. We will learn about the city’s division between Buda and Pest, how their distinct characters reflect broader tensions in Hungarian society, and how the legacies of Ottoman rule, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Soviet occupation continue to shape national memory. We will take a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter, one of the more historically layered and culturally rich neighborhoods in Budapest, home to the Great Synagogue and a vibrant ruin bar scene. We will also take a trip to a smaller Hungarian town or village, to see rural life as well.