SIT Study Abroad South Africa: International Relations in the Global South

Explore non-western perspectives on South-South and continental relations through lectures, visits, and internships involving diplomats, activists, and intellectuals in South Africa and Mozambique.

WHY STUDY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH?

This program offers an opportunity to learn non-western perspectives in the fields of international and South-South relations and to examine broad policy questions in sub-Saharan Africa through the lenses of youth employment, conflict, and poverty. An introduction to South African politics sets the groundwork for the program focus on international relations and foreign policy, providing an opportunity for you to engage in major contemporary debates in the Global South.

We examine the African Union and other continental influencers including international organizations and non-state actors, and we look at how BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) has emerged as an alternative power block on the global political stage. Central to the program is the opportunity to intern at an internationally acclaimed NGO such as the Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), Institute for Security Studies (ISS), or the South African Institute of International Affairs.

You will visit the Luthuli Museum, former home of the first Black Nobel Prize winner, and the home of Mahatma Gandhi, whose political consciousness was shaped in South Africa. Learn about the role of NGOs in international relations on excursions to Cape Town and Maputo, Mozambique, which offered frontline state solidarity to South Africa during apartheid.

Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.

MONEY MATTERS

SIT is an all-inclusively priced study abroad program – including academics costs, excursions, accommodations and meals, airport transfers, and health insurance. Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor and read the website for more specific information.  

SCHOLARSHIPS

SIT has awarded an average of over $1.3 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students in the past three years. All scholarships and grants are need-based. Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.  

CONTACT SIT STUDY ABROAD

• Visit our website: studyabroad.sit.edu
• Request more information or email us: studyabroad@sit.edu
• Call an admissions counselor: 888-272-7881
• Contact a former student.
• Apply to SIT

Social and Political Transformation Current Program Information Investigate issues of inequality; poverty; and racial, ethnic, and gender-based discrimination in South Africa. When Nelson Mandela cast his vote in Durban in 1994, South Africa?s system of legislated apartheid receded into history. However, the country continues to struggle with discrimination and poverty. Students explore reconciliation and development through lectures, discussion, field-based activities, and excursions to rural KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town. The program base of Durban is a fusion of African, Western, and Eastern influences. It is home to, among others, the Zulu nation, as well as descendants of British settlers, indentured Indian laborers, and traders. Students complete at least one week of service learning in Durban with affiliate grassroots nongovernmental organizations. Some students opt to extend this practical experience by completing an internship as part of their Independent Study Projects.