Spain

Emma Nelson participated in three study abroad programs, getting to engage in a different culture and discovering her independence.

Zeel Patel spent the fall 2021 semester on the Learning Abroad Center’s Psychology and Research in Madrid program. She interned at the Cajal Institute, a research center in neurobiology named for the father of modern neuroscience.

On May 15, Emma Mulhern got off a plane from Toledo, Spain, after studying there for five months. Two days later, she graduated.

For many University of Minnesota students, the move to distance learning in March was merely the first brush stroke COVID-19 would paint on their lives. As the pandemic showed no signs of abating, summer plans to study abroad or gain experience through internships were often postponed or scuttled.
 
Suddenly faced with open calendars, students had to look for other options. Here’s how three students found opportunity and insight in canceled plans.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ended study abroad opportunities in the spring and summer, the Learning Abroad Center quickly pivoted to launch an innovative virtual international internship program.

Our work benefits from the diverse perspectives of international scholars from around the world – students, postdoctoral associates and faculty alike. We asked a few of our international scholars about their experiences at the University of Minnesota.