Barcelona, Spain
June 14 — July 26, 2008
Why NYU in Barcelona? | Facilities | Housing | Faculty | Links
Director of the Program: Mary Ann Newman, Director of the Catalan Center at New York University's Center for European and Mediterranean Studies
Why NYU at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona?
The Center for European and Mediterranean Studies invites M.A. students and advanced undergraduates to develop an on-site understanding of current issues in Europe and the Mediterranean through an intensive experience in one of the most vibrant European cities, Barcelona, and dynamic European regions, Catalonia. The program offers courses in European and Mediterranean history, politics, and policy, taught by specialized faculty from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The program features customized visits to institutional and cultural sites and interviews with experts and policymakers. Students learn firsthand about the complexities of Europe and the Mediterranean by observing the social and political realities of Barcelona, where the most crucial issues facing the European and Mediterranean regions all come into play.
Possible excursions include walking tours of Barcelona neighborhoods (Gothic Quarter to Olympic Village); guided visits to such sites as the City History Museum of Barcelona and the museum district of Montjuic; and day trips to the medieval city of Girona and the Roman city of Tarragona on the Mediterranean shore, respectively one hour north and one hour south of Barcelona. Field trips also include visits to governmental and nongovernmental policy-making institutions, such as the Generalitat (Catalan government), Barcelona City Hall, European Institute for the Mediterranean, the Patronat Catala pro Europa (Catalan agency for European relations), and UN-related institutions, which will offer state-of-the-art perspectives on European, Mediterranean, EU, and nongovernmental networks. Students have the opportunity to hear from distinguished experts in European and Mediterranean culture, history, and policy studies. Through visits to nearby archaeological and architectural enclaves, students can acquire an understanding of the vibrant, layered presence of Iberian, Roman, Romanesque, and Gothic architectures, the astonishing blossoming of late 19th- to early 20th-century modernista architecture (e.g., Gaudi, Puig i Cadafalch, and Domenech i Montaner), and the innovative 20th- and 21st-century urban planners who have transformed Barcelona into one of Europe's most interesting urban spaces.
Facilities
Classes are held at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), on the Ciutadella campus, centrally located between historic and modern Barcelona. The UPF is the third-highest ranking university in Spain, overall, and the first-ranking in a number of disciplines (e.g., law, the humanities, history, business). The Roger de Lluria building, a renovated 19th-century barracks, won the 2001 Ciutat de Barcelona Prize for architecture and urban planning. The magnificent university library is located in a building constructed by two great 19th-century Catalan architects, Josep Fontsere and Antoni Gaudi, and refurbished in 1993. The campus is located five minutes from 4.5 kilometers of city beaches and bike paths that were restored as result of hosting the 1992 Olympic Games. Students have access to modern facilities, including computers, Wi-Fi, and library services. Relevant trips, cultural activities, and guest lectures enrich course offerings and provide greater insight into European, Mediterranean, and local culture.
Housing
Students will be housed in a residence hall within easy walking distance of the UPF campus. The residence hall rooms resemble small apartments, each equipped with private bath, kitchenette, and telephone and Internet access. Students may use the residence hall kitchens to prepare their own meals. Graduate students may choose to stay in the residence halls or to find their own housing in Barcelona for the duration of the program.