By: Renae Visico
On Thursday, Sept. 17, Brooklyn College (BC)’s International Programs and Study Abroad office (IPSA) hosted its Fall Study Abroad Fair in the Student Center.
BC has hosted the Study Abroad Fair every semester since Fall 2023. Each fair creates an open space for students who are considering studying abroad to explore the resources the college offers.
“I hope to one day do something in the future where I get to travel all the time,” sophomore Keziah Tracy told the Vanguard. “I want to be able to just grasp everything.”
Many tables at the fair introduced BC’s own study abroad classes for this summer and winter. One of them included the “Media Production and Cultural Studies” summer program in South Korea, which is open to all majors despite it being a TV, Radio, Emerging Media (TREM) course.
“You basically make a five-minute documentary with a group of students, comparing one thing in America to one thing in Korea,” said senior Leslie Hunter, who studied abroad in South Korea. “It’s good for growing your research skills and your collaboration skills.”
Another course that the Study Abroad Fair introduced was “Ecology, Economy, and Culture” in Nairobi, Kenya during the winter semester. Since the class could not be offered last winter, students were more motivated to demonstrate interest in the program so that it could be offered this winter.
“The program [in Kenya] seems really interesting, and it’s not something that you would want to go to right away, but now I’m really convinced to go,” said third-year student Arina Bazan. “I think it would be really interesting to learn about safaris, economics, and ecology.”
The deadline to apply for BC’s study abroad programs for the Winter 2027 semester is Oct. 15.
Students interested in studying abroad for a full semester can participate in one of BC’s exchange programs with universities like Sussex University in England, Kindai University in Japan, and many more that were present at the Fair.
The deadline to apply for BC’s foreign exchange programs for the Spring 2027 semester is Oct. 1.
Aside from Brooklyn College’s own classes, the Study Abroad Fair introduced classes offered by other CUNY campuses. Representatives from schools like Queens College, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), and John Jay College came to showcase more study abroad programs available to BC students.
“A student from Brooklyn College doesn’t have to set foot at the College of Staten Island (CSI) to do a program here,” CSI representative John Dunleady told the Vanguard. “I wish [BC students] knew how much of a variety they have. It’s not just for special majors; it’s for any student.”
Though the study abroad program intrigued many prospective students, the aspect of finances plays a huge role in their decision-making. Aid and other financial resources like scholarships were presented at the fair.
“The Queens College [study abroad program] interests me because they have a scholarship for beginners,” said junior Priyah Allen. “That’s the main thing I qualify for right now.”
Brooklyn College offers its own study abroad scholarships, including the Rosen Fellowship and the Tow Stipend, but IPSA also wanted students to know more about external scholarships.
“You can receive up to $25,000 to focus and study a language intensely for a year,” Sarah Chow, a representative of the Boren Scholarship, told the Vanguard. “We want to give students the opportunity to gain these language skills and have these experiences overseas.”
Ultimately, IPSA and every exchange program represented at the Fair wanted students to know that studying abroad can be a transformative experience, and Brooklyn College can help make it as accessible as possible.
“Everybody loves the different food, different music, and different ways of doing things,” said Dunleady. “You can learn things in a way where you can connect what you’re learning with the culture.”
For more information on IPSA, visit @cunybcstudyabroad on Instagram or 1212 Boylan Hall.