CHID Prague: History, Memory, and Human Rights in Central Europe

The CHID Prague Program, which is one of the oldest study abroad programs at UW (since 1996), offers UW students a unique and specific study abroad opportunity not available elsewhere at UW. The CHID Prague Program is all about immersing yourself in Prague and the other great Central European cities – Vienna, Krakow, Budapest and Berlin, where we will go on 4- or 5-day trips each – in order to develop a complex understanding of the dynamic historical, cultural, and political life of Central Europe as a whole. The program itself is strongly anchored in the philosophy of CHID: it combines academically rigorous seminar-style courses, international field trips aimed at provoking personal reflection and exploration, and cultural events that transform our program into a living community. We focus on key issues that resonate well beyond Central Europe: the tragedy of the Holocaust, the nature and legacy of the communist systems, the hopes and tensions of the European Union, the impact of the current refugee crisis, and how coming to terms with the past is reflected in the cultural scene we witness today. Through this immersion, we hope that students in the program not only critically explore the intersections of rich and complex Central European history, society, and politics, but also, in the process, become themselves transformed by the places, people, and ideas they encounter.