Ryan Mills, Study Abroad in Paris program, Fall 2015 |
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"Upon arrival at the American Graduate School in Paris, I was introduced to some of the staff and a few students who happened to be on campus. They were very warm and excited to meet all of the new students. I immediately felt at home in this small but active community at AGS because, though they were all from different parts of the world, everyone took the time to understand each other’s perspective and make sure that they were approachable and affable. During orientation I was introduced to all of the professors and students, where, I must admit, I fell in love with each and every professor’s field of interest as well as classes offered. From current issues in the Middle East taught together by an Iranian historian and an Israeli journalist, to NGO management taught by the director of Human Rights Watch in France. Every class description was mouthwateringly fascinating, and taught by some of the most impressive people I could have ever imagined. One of the classes I took with Dr. Douglas Yates gave me an immense degree of depth in French history and politics, while bringing me into a deeper realm of understanding about the formation of a nation and an identity. Another of his classes on contemporary Sub-Saharan African politics surveyed several African nations according to their colonial past, breaking down differences in ways such as colonial style, how they came to independence, cultural imperialism that followed, political discourse, and how they are being affected by globalization and current political situations. During the months I spent at AGS, I partook in activities of several clubs, discussing topics in gender issues, the Graduate Student Association, and even hosted a Middle Eastern seminar discussing linguistics in relation to politics and sociology in various parts of the Arab world. I also got to practice my French and emulate the customs around me outside of the international setting of the student population. The city always felt alive with curiosity and expression; artists performing or practicing on street corners, people exercising, tourists being amazed at the sights. It was a wonderful experience to be inside this vast metropolitan city with all it had to offer. Not only have I gained a deeper understanding of the subjects here at AGS, but I have gained some insight into myself and how I operate as well. Overall, I would recommend AGS to anyone with a thirst for intellectual stimulation and a drive to not only understand the world of international relations, but engage in it." |
Ryan Mills worked as an Iraqi linguist for the US Naval Intelligence for six years, between 2008 and 2014, before joining the Bachelor's in Political Science, which took him to spend a semester abroad at the American Graduate School in Paris.
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 Ruchi Anand India
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The 'AGS experience' is about travelling through various places, spaces, contexts, perspectives, theories, approaches and ideas, colored in different nationalities, accents, cultures and identities, all at one place. The AGS corridors may be short but they are wide if you let your minds roam free.