St. John’s European campuses may finally welcome residents come this summer, according to a hopeful email this weekend from the Office of International Education (OIE). The Feb. 6 update said OIE is now accepting applications for Summer and Fall 2021 abroad programs.
“We know it’s been a tough year, with all of us limited mostly to the homes that surround us and the neighborhoods we call home,” OIE said. “COVID continues to be a concern, but with the appropriate cautions, and the arrival of vaccinations worldwide, OIE sincerely hopes we can return to a world of safe student mobility in the coming terms.”
“At this time, travel is restricted in many countries, though Europe has deemed study as ’essential’ and allows for student entry for study purposes,” the OIE’s study abroad landing page says. “Currently, students enrolling in summer programs should anticipate a pre-arrival testing requirement, as well as a short period of self-isolation and a subsequent test after arrival.”
OIE is currently offering summer sessions in both Paris and Rome, with courses in either language and opportunities for internships in these cities. These internships are available for 3 to 6 credits. Applications for semester-long programs, including exchange programs in various countries, for Fall 2021 are also open.
In October, Gregory Bruhn, director of Outbound Programs at OIE, told the Torch that it was anticipating having study abroad programs up and running for the spring 2021 semester – a month later OIE announced on its website that this was not going to be the case, as study abroad programs were once again shuttered due to the pandemic.
Last March, students studying abroad during the Spring 2020 semester were sent home from the University’s various study abroad locations across the globe at the height of the pandemic.
