This Spring, Anderson University Abroad will be celebrating 15 years as a gateway to the world, enhancing its commitment to the University’s Pillar of Great Academics by providing exceptional faculty-led study abroad programming.
AU Abroad is a semester long international studies class that has short-term international travel during spring break. The program initially grew out of a desire by Anderson University to increase the number of students studying abroad on faculty-led programs. According to Center for Global Engagement Director, Dr. Ann-Margaret Themistocleous, the program was born out of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) in 2008 for Anderson University’s accreditation. AU sent its first class of students overseas with AU Abroad in 2011.
Dr. Themistocleous states, “Anderson University has always been globally engaged and students have always had opportunities to take part on international programs. However, the AU Abroad program was specifically designed to allow faculty to design an international studies class with intercultural learning outcomes. A study abroad experience cultivates critical thinking, cultural competency and personal growth that simply cannot be replicated in a traditional classroom setting. Our faculty understand that, and with AU Abroad, they can design classes which allow them to develop intercultural competency while complementing their academic pursuits.”
While it seems that technology has brought the world closer, it’s simply no substitute for seeing other countries and experiencing other cultures by being there, meeting people and directly engaging, interacting with the local culture. A study abroad experience challenges students to step beyond the familiar and engage with the world as global citizens.
As a history professor, Dr. Lindsay Privette spends hours in the classroom trying to make history come alive to her students.
“It is challenging to transport someone back to a World War I battlefield in France, a medieval Castle in Germany, or even Soviet Era Poland when you are sitting in a twenty-first century classroom complete with Wi-Fi, PowerPoint and fluorescent lighting,” Dr. Privette said. “Physically taking students to those places, letting them walk around and realize that the events they have been learning about were real—nothing beats it.”
Dr. Privette noted that train travel is a big part of trips to Europe she takes with her students. She enjoys seeing students navigate a train station for the first time, interpreting timetables, finding the platform where they board their train and learning overall train etiquette.
“I think it’s a very important experience for other students to be able to travel abroad because it enhances your perspective, and it also inspires you as a person,” said Candace Mbugua, a student who traveled to Germany and Austria this past spring.
“Students have told me that the experience has been life changing. Most want to go back and visit again on their own terms,” said Music Professor Howard Kim, adding that he knows of one student who was inspired to the point of wanting to return to Austria to pursue graduate studies.
When Allie Norton (pictured at left with Ellie Castano) was considering colleges, AU Abroad helped her to choose Anderson University. Norton, a Musical Theatre major and Dance minor, dreams of joining a touring theatre or dance group someday. Having been a part of the South Carolina School of the Arts’ production of “The Sound of Music” last year piqued her interest in the spring 2025 trip to Austria and Germany. Traveling to locations in Austria made famous in the 1965 motion picture adaptation of this classic musical was a dream come true for her.
“One of our female chaperones just took us to the places and we just took pictures and recreated the scenes,” Norton said.
A highlight for Norton, who grew up listening to Beethoven on her iPod, was visiting the famous composer’s childhood home in Bonn.
“They preserved his home so incredibly well,” Norton said. “We also got to go to the Bonn Opera House, which was absolutely amazing.”
Mbugua said, “As a musician, it was inspiring to see an opera for the first time. I sing a lot of songs from operas, but I had never actually seen a full production of one before. That was extremely inspiring and renewed my love of opera because I enjoy singing it.”
Norton praises AU Abroad and the professors in her group. She feels her trip was well-prepared in terms of what they did together as a group while providing freedom to explore in small, supervised groups.
Traveling with Professor Kim, Norton said, “He knows the culture, he knows how to talk to the people. He helped prepare the class, not just by us learning German, but how they view the world, how they think, what their country means to them. Knowing all of that made me feel prepared, and when it came to the traveling aspect, there was no stress.”
Josh Hiles (right), a senior majoring in History and Political Science, will never forget following the footsteps of Calvin and Martin Luther in the places where the Reformation occurred and Protestantism first took root. He enjoyed interacting with people of other cultures throughout his trip, whether on the plane or walking the streets of places like Frankfurt, Zurich or Geneva. He’s also thankful for the flexibility that helped him and other students to have unique experiences like playing a round of golf on a course built in an old German stone quarry. In fact, he rates his trip as one of the best experiences of his life.
Hiles loves to travel and appreciates witnessing history from a European perspective.
“It was fascinating seeing how much older everything was,” Hiles said. “In the United States, we freak out if something is from the 1800s or 1700s. We went to a church that’s 1,200 years old.”
Professor Kim, who has led several trips to Germany and Austria, enjoys students’ observation of historical timelines from a European perspective.
“The main observation that stood out to the students when we visited the historic sites was how there were hardly any such structures in the USA; that our country is so incredibly young that it does not have such long-standing history comparatively speaking,” Professor Kim said. “They were awed by the beauty and age of the castles, museums and cathedrals.”
AU Abroad (IS398) is part of Anderson University’s Gold Core Curriculum. The Gold Core Curriculum is grounded in AU’s Christian mission and liberal arts tradition.
What makes Anderson University’s AU Abroad program truly exceptional is its faculty-led approach. Unlike traditional study abroad programs where students navigate foreign cultures independently, AU Abroad offers students the ability to learn with Anderson faculty who possess deep expertise in both their subject matter and the destinations they explore together. This unique model creates an unparalleled learning environment where academic rigor meets cultural discovery.
“The course is extremely important for students to have the opportunity for an international firsthand exposure as a world citizen,” Professor Kim said. “The study of the history and culture of countries not their own and actually participate in the intricacies of the societies is a monumental life-altering experience that the classroom cannot teach.”
Dr. Themistocleous explains that The Center for Global Engagement and AU faculty members thoroughly prepare students before they travel, helping them to learn about the country and culture.
“Our faculty leaders don’t just accompany students—they serve as cultural bridges, helping students understand not only what they’re seeing but why it matters. When a history professor guides students through a medieval castle in Germany or a music professor shares insights at Vienna’s opera houses, the experience transcends tourism and becomes transformative education,” Dr. Themistocleous said. “Students gain confidence to explore while having the support and guidance from trusted Anderson faculty who not only understand the historical and cultural significance of the sites visited but of its country and people as well.”
To make study abroad possible for students, Anderson University offers scholarships of up to $1,000 to students to help offset the additional travel/course fee for AU Abroad. Juniors and seniors of all majors can apply for an AU Abroad scholarship that is based upon financial need and GPA. (Sophomore nursing and education majors can also apply for an AU Abroad scholarship.) This scholarship helps make study abroad possible for all students. Anderson University is dedicated to global education and by offering the AU Abroad scholarship has been able to send hundreds of students abroad in the past 15 years with the AU Abroad program.
Looking back on her study abroad experience, Norton said, “It’s absolutely worth it. I believe someone should go abroad during their time in college at least once… Whenever I did it with AU, that experience to me forever will hold a place in my heart. I want that experience for other people.”
“It definitely helps you grow,” Mbugua said. “And then also because, the first time you’re ever seeing the Alps or something like that, it’s an incredible experience and something hard to describe. They’re majestic.”
“To the next AU Abroad student, I could not recommend it more,” Hiles said. “It was an absolutely amazing and surreal once in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
AU Abroad classes for the 2025-26 academic year include: The Netherlands, France, Panama, England and Iceland. Students can register for an AU Abroad class with their regular spring registration.
Learn more about AU Abroad and all the Anderson University Center for Global Engagement’s programs online.