The Second and Third Week

 

 

We have officially passed the halfway mark of this year’s British Studies Program, and I wanted to update you on the activities of the second and third weeks. While most weeks of the British Studies Program have classes Monday-Thursday, the second and third academic weeks only have classes for 3 days per week. Not only do we want our students to have an in-depth academic study, but we also want them to experience the deep interpersonal growth that so often comes from a study abroad experience. Therefore, in the middle of the program we give our students a 5 day mini-break (by adding on a Thursday and Monday to the normal 3 day weekend). This break allows students to travel outside of London and/or the country if they choose. But before we talk about mini-break excursions, lets look at the academic side of the last two weeks first.

 

Shakespeare-On Monday, the Shakespeare class started with a lecture over Shakespeare’s books by Dr. Godwin, followed by an afternoon lecture by Dr. Godwin over Shakespeare’s Afterlife and Neoclassical Shakespeare. Monday evening, the students took in a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Garrick Theatre. Tuesday brought a second lecture on Neoclassical Shakespeare from Dr. Godwin and the afternoon featured a tour of Dr. Johnson’s House, which is where the Dictionary of the English Language was written. Wednesday featured a couple of tours, with a morning tour of the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane and an afternoon tour of the Museum of London. After the mini-break, the third week started with a visit to Banqueting House, followed by an afternoon lecture by Dr. Godwin, and capped off with an evening performance of Richard III. Wednesday started with a tour of the National Theatre and followed with an afternoon lecture about Institutional Shakespeare from Dr. Godwin. Thursday started with a follow up lecture over Institutional Shakespeare and a our of the national portrait gallery before taking in an evening performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Globe Theatre.

International Business-Monday started off for our business students with a guest lecture by Mr. Peter Tompkins on the World of the London Actuary. Monday afternoon was a classroom session by Drs. Forrester and Cummings, and included some work on their individual research projects. Tuesday featured a visit to the Canary Wharf Group PLC and a session on the top floor of One Canada Square with a strategic advisor from the Canary Wharf Group before an afternoon lecture back on campus on Biotechnology and Business from a local expert in the industry. Wednesday saw our business students travel to the British Telecom Technology HQ and meet with the Innovation Staff. Talk about an interesting day learning about all of the new technology! After the mini-break, the students started their third week with a lecture from the International Accounting Standards Board in their conference room before coming back in the afternoon for a lecture by Drs. Forrester and Cummings. Wednesday saw the students start with a guest lecture on banking from a local expert before visiting the Coca-Cola Education Centre and plant. The third week wrapped up with the students taking a train to Faversham, where they toured the Shepherd Neame Brewery (the oldest brewery in Great Britain). Not only did the tour feature conversations about operations management, but there was a specific lecture after the tour about licensing strategies.

Theatre– Monday started with our Theatre students visiting the Museum of London before having classroom time in the afternoon for a lecture by Professor Kearns. Tuesday started with a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum before taking in a performance of MacBeth at the Globe Theatre. Wednesday was a day for classroom time as the morning featured a lecture by Professor Kearns before an afternoon session and Q&A with a well respected Set and Costume Designer. The third week started out with a morning lecture by Professor Kearns before hosting an afternoon guest lecture from a local lighting design expert. The day culminated with a performance of Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre. Wednesday again started with a morning lecture from Professor Kearns before and afternoon tour of the National Theatre. Thursday wrapped up the third week with morning and afternoon lectures before taking in a performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

World War II History– The history class started with a day trip to Dover England for a tour of Dover Castle. As the closest point to France, the Castle played an important role in WWII. Not only was it used as a decoy for the Normandy invasion but the underground tunnels and hospital were important to the success of the invasion of France. Tuesday featured a morning guest lecture on Nazi film propaganda before an afternoon walking tour of the areas impacted by the Blitz. Wednesday featured two lectures by Dr. Lindemann on the fall of Western Europe and the battles of North Africa and the Balkans. After the mini-break, students started out with a visit to Bletchley Park and a visit to the codebreaking museum. This important venue highlights the cracking of the Nazi code during WWII and our students have the ability to experience this first hand! Wednesday saw the students catch a train to Portsmouth Harbour, where they visit the D-Day Museum. The week ended with a morning visit to Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, before hosting a local historian who gave a guest lecture on reasons for Allied Victory.

Public Health-Monday started with the public health students joining the exercise physiology students at the Centre of the Cell Science Education Center before a talk and tour about Health Issues in Britain from a local expert. Tuesday started with a guest lecture on the NHS Trust Development Authority and an afternoon Public Health walking tour of the East End of London. Wednesday began with student public health presentations before an afternoon visit to a really cool place–the old operating theatre. This venue shows an old operating gallery and table where surgeries were performed pre anesthesia. After the mini-break, the Public Health class started out with a lecture from Dr. Polvado and Professor Stewart before going to the Museum of London in the afternoon. Wednesday saw the students visit with a local expert on Ethnicity and Health before visiting the Florence Nightingale Museum that afternoon. The week finished with a morning session from a local professor discussing poisons and public health before an afternoon visit to the Centre for History in Public Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Sociology-The second week of classes started with a morning lecture on cultural pluralism and the law by a local expert before an afternoon guest lecture on health issues in Britain, a joint class with public health and exercise physiology. Tuesday morning featured an excellent discussion on surveillance and counter-terrorism from a former Met PD officer and an afternoon lecture on popular culture. Wednesday brought the work of Amnesty International to our classroom and the afternoon review session from Dr. Button prior to the start of the mini-break. The third week started with a Monday trip to the Royal Courts of Justice before an afternoon visit to the Youth Justice in Britain and America. Wednesday featured two guest lectures, with the morning session being on class and inequality and an afternoon lecture focused on immigration issues in Britain. Wednesday morning featured a lecture/review session from Dr. Button before an afternoon/evening joint session with the criminal justice class on a guided walk of the Jack the Ripper area.

Exercise Physiology-Monday started with the public health students joining the exercise physiology students at the Centre of the Cell Science Education Center before a talk and tour about Health Issues in Britain from a local expert. Tuesday morning saw a guest speaker brought in to discuss the evolution of sports nutrition from Ancient Greece to modern times, before another guest lecture in the afternoon on the challenges and threats associated with Doping in Sports. Wednesday started with a classroom lecture from Dr. Wyatt before teaming up with the Public Health class in the afternoon to tour the Old Operating Theatre and Museum. After the mini-break, the week started out with a visit to St. Mary’s University, which included discussions from the staff there on School and Sport, Health and Applied Science, and a tour of their facilities with an interactive strength and conditioning workshop. Wednesday brought two guest speakers, with the morning lecture on the topic of ethnicity and health before visiting the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health and a guest lecture on Exercise as Medicine. Thursday saw the students visit the Drug Control Centre at Kings College and had a tour of their laboratories before an afternoon visit to the Science Museum.

Criminal Justice-The second week of classes kicked off on Monday with a visit to the City of London Magistrates’ Court before hearing a lecture on counter-terrorism procedures in the UK during the afternoon. Tuesday morning brought another guest lecturer into the mix, and this former Met PD Officer also discussed the counter-terrorism procedures in the UK but focused a little bit more on the surveillance component (and it was excellent!). Tuesday afternoon also saw a guest lecturer discussing criminal justice procedures in the UK. Wednesday morning saw a visit to the Public Galleries at Old Bailey–the central criminal court of England and Wales before and afternoon review session with Dr. Fidelie. After the mini-break, the students started the week with a tour of the Royal Courts of Justice before having an afternoon lecture on youth justice in Britain and America. Wednesday started with a classroom lecture from Dr. Fidelie before another guest lecture, this one on the study of capital punishment. Thursday saw the students visit the Prison Reform Trust in the morning before teaming up with the Sociology class for a Jack the Ripper Walk in East London.

 

Mini Break– The mini break is a chance for the students and faculty to take a long weekend and get caught up on coursework, tour around London, or to get outside of the city and explore different parts of the region. This year students went many different places, Ireland, France, Germany, and The Netherlands just to name a few. However, for the first time, we also partnered with a travel operator to put together an optional tour specifically for MSU faculty, students, and friends to Scotland. This tour saw the group leave London early Thursday morning and arrive in Edinburgh Thursday midday. After a bus tour of the city, everyone was free to do their own thing that night (some opted for a haunted ghost tour). On Friday, everyone was loaded up on a coach for an all day excursion through the Scottish Highlands. While it was a long day on the bus, there was some incredible scenery! After lunch, the group received entrance into the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness before interested parties could take a boat cruise out across Loch Ness for the chance to see Nessie! After the boat tour it was back to Edinburgh for the night. Saturday gave everyone free time until 2:30 pm, when we were picked up and escorted back to the train station for our return to London. This tour was a great success and still allowed faculty and students two days of mini-break upon our return to London to do whatever else they wanted to accomplish. Some went ahead and traveled to another location in those two days!

All in all, this has been an incredible couple of weeks and we look forward to seeing what the last week has in store for us! Stay tuned!