CAPA WORLD

In this week's vlog, Dan shows us what he kept in his backpack for daily use while he was studying abroad in Shanghai! 

What is Europe?

Europe is not just geographical space. Defining Europe by geography is complex, contested, and controversial. Russia and Turkey are within and without. The British use the term the “Continent” to mean everywhere in Europe except Britain. We should also recall the headline that may or may not have appeared in The Times when Britain was enjoying Imperial pomp (and when “Great Britain” was not irony): “Fog over the Channel. Europe cut off.”

For China watchers, 1978 was a pivotal year—after nearly three decades of a planned economy under Chairman Mao, the famous leader’s passing, in 1976, was a prelude to China’s “Reform and Opening-up” led by Deng Xiaoping after he became the new leader in 1978. Thus 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of that reform, marked in part by the launch in Shanghai of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in November.

However, December 18, 2018 marked the precise date that “Reform and Opening-up” was launched and the Shanghai authorities marked this by a short exhibition of “China stuff” from 40 years ago onwards—held in a specially erected steel tent near Zhongshan Park, one metro station from CAPA’s Shanghai campus. Starting just before the weekend to facilitate attendance, it ended on Tuesday, December 18 to commemorate the special day. I was privileged to get a ticket to attend and I did not see any other foreigners while there. I will discuss some of the exhibition highlights below, but first a bit more background.

In today's post, Mariah talks about her summer Travel Writing class with award-winning author and professor Michael Meyer, what their class trips were like, and the importance of documenting the city and practicing the art of travel writing.

I knew my decision to take the Travel Writing class would be a good one. My teacher, Professor Michael Meyer, is a fun and easy-going University of Pittsburgh professor who takes us to different museums and places around London to explore. Along the way, he assigns us weekly readings and encourages us to write about our experiences while teaching us different writing styles to improve our skills.

For our first class, we went to Hyde Park. As many of London’s park attractions, the park was full of green. Statues stood tall on every corner we turned and tourists wandered through the beautiful gardens and pathways. For this exploration, he wanted us to imagine a scene. We were told to take notice of what we see around us, engaging our five senses of smell, touch, sight, and sound. It was an interesting day where he told us to sit down, ‘open our eyes’ and just ‘take notice.’ I was meant to be the ‘fly on the wall,’ observing all that I see.

Whether you're looking to boost your knowledge in photography and visual studies or take a chance and study something new, get a look at what these classes abroad have to offer. In her final post, Jessica shares her experience taking Irish Photography classes in Dublin. Anticipate gallery and museum visits, guest lectures by professionals, and hands-on learning! 

This past semester I took three classes to complete my graphic design minor back at SUNY Oswego. These classes were Sociology of the Media, Ways of Seeing, and Visual Methodologies. I’m so thankful I took these classes because it gave me such a new perspective as a broadcasting major on the media in Ireland and in Europe, but I also learned so much about Irish photography.

When you study and intern abroad, opportunities will constantly be presenting themselves for you to grow professionally. The overarching benefits of picking up new skills will serve you in the years to come.

In an article written in 2018, LinkedIn Business shared their findings from hiring and recruiting data that they pulled between January-September 2017 (which was billions of data points) to identify the most in-demand hard and soft skills for 2018 and on. From this and several other sources which produced similar data, we’ll take a look at six of the professional skills you need to succeed this year and some of the ways studying and interning abroad can play a role.

Did you know that classes at CAPA involve both learning inside and outside the classroom? In this week's post, Christopher goes through why he enjoys this style of learning and his overall highlights of the semester. Take a look at what else CAPA London has to offer!

Over the course of this semester I (as part of the CAPA program) would meet for classroom sections in the CAPA building which was located in Kensington off of Cromwell Road. Luckily, this semester I was one of the students who lived in the Longridge apartments so fortunately I had the privilege of walking to class from my flat every morning. Ranging on where CAPA places you in your living situation, a student’s commute will range from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. My housing accommodation allowed me to get a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning since I had the opportunity to leave my building 10 minutes before class and still make it on time.

Located in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the CAPA building is located in one of the more posh areas in London, and the architectural style of the building dons a Georgian style—which is very uniformed for all the buildings in this area.

By the early 14th century…in textile manufacturing towns like Ypres… workers found themselves regulated not by the flow of activity or the seasons but by a new kind of time – abstract, linear, repetitive… work time was measured by the town’s bells, which rang at the beginning and end of each shift.
—Ray Patel, Jason Moore, “The True Cost of Cheap Food,” The Guardian, 8 May 2018.

In this week's post, Genevieve prepares to bid farewell to London, her internship experience, and her semester abroad—but not before getting through finals week! She also talks about how professor Mike Punter and his classes have left a mark on her and why she will miss this experience tremendously.

It’s the final week in London. Currently, everyone is wrapping up their last exams and papers, as well as trying to squeeze every last memory out of our time here. It’s become small talk to ask, ‘How are you feeling about going home?’ to whoever sits beside you in class. The answers are varied, but the general consensus is ready for a break, but not ready to leave London. We have each made a space for ourselves in this fast city, and who knows if who we have created ourselves to be here will even carry back home. For me, the last day at my internship was when the fact that I am leaving on Saturday became real. I had to say goodbye to friends, the building, and the role that I enjoyed. The internship had been a connection to the future that I want, but that isn’t a reality yet.

In this week's post, Ellen Anderson discusses a My Global Cities event she attended by Dr. Fiona McEwen on the effect of war and displacement on the mental health of Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon, and discusses how learning more about this topic impacts her own perspectives.