Global Studies 298: Burkina Faso Study Abroad

“The Real Africa” by Deb Aronson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Newsletter (Fall 2007)
“Illinois Professor Brings Students to ‘Real Africa’” by Matt VanderZalm, Illinois International Review (Spring 2008)
“Learning About Africa, One Experience At A Time” by Jessica Horn: Habari, Center for African Studies Newsletter (Fall 2007)
“Dry-Season Agriculture in Burkina Faso” by Christopher Steiner: Habari, Center for African Studies Newsletter (Fall 2007)

FAQs:

Regarding Applying to the Program:

1. Overall questions and issues about studying abroad

The study abroad website (http://www.studyabroad.illinois.edu/) has a ton of information for both PARENTS and STUDENTS concerning health, safety, cultural adjustment, and traveling issues during the study abroad program. Look under the “Resources” tabs and make sure you read this information. It is useful.

2. Do I need to speak French to apply or go on the program? No. All classes will be in English and I will be with the class during the entire trip and there will also be a University of Ouagadougou college student majoring in English who will be with us as a program assistant. Having said that, Burkina Faso is a francophone country and very few individuals speak English. Even at hotels, restaurants, and stores it will be difficult to find an English speaker.

If you are accepted into the program and cannot speak any French (i.e. never took a high school or college course), I would strongly recommend and encourage you to take an introductory French class in Fall 2013. This will greatly enhance your learning experience in Burkina. If that is not possible, then you should plan on spending time during the fall semester learning ‘survival’ French from one of the websites linked below.

***If you have taken any French classes (either in high-school or college), please indicate that on the application as some preference will be given to students who can communicate in French.

3. “My parents are wary about letting me travel to Burkina Faso because of security or health concerns. What should I tell them?” First, read the anonymous student evaluations from the previous study abroad trips to Burkina Faso (student evaluations from 2012, 2009, and 2007). Many of these students had similar concerns prior to the trip and so reading about what they thought after visiting Burkina Faso is useful. Second, as the course leader, I will be with the students during the entire trip. I have previously led 3 successful courses in Burkina Faso during summer 2012, winter break 2008/09, and winter break 2006/07, and I have extensive experience living and working in West Africa. I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo for 2 years and I spent 18 months living in Burkina Faso conducting household surveys as part of my Ph.D. dissertation. In addition, I have made numerous shorter trips to West Africa, both for work and vacation.

Finally, it is important to understand the facts about a specific country before making a decision about whether you want to visit there. Across countries in Africa, there is enormous variation and we are not visiting a country in the middle of a civil war or an AIDS epidemic. For current travel and security information about Burkina Faso, look at the State Department website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1075.html. I would also caution that you should read the State Department consular information for another country such as France or England which would probably be considered a “safe” country to gain some perspective on how the information sheets are written.

4. Do I earn credit for the course? You earn 3 credits for the course.

5. How competitive is it to get into the program? Very. When I have previously taught the course, fewer than 50% of the applicants were accepted into the program.

6. What are the requirements for admission? There are no specific requirements in terms of courses taken or majors. Students in all majors and from freshman to seniors have gone on previous Burkina Faso study abroad trips. I put a lot of weight on your personal essay and your motivations for wanting to go to Burkina Faso, so please spend a significant amount of time working on the essay questions.

7. How much does the course cost? Check the Study Abroad website for details on costs, scholarships for LAS students, and what the program costs cover.

8. What do I need to do to apply? Go to the Study Abroad website above and follow the instructions for applying for the course. Selection interviews may be arranged at my discretion after the written applications have been submitted.

9. Application Deadlines: Application deadline is February 2016

10. Mandatory course meetings: To go abroad, you MUST attend all on-campus meetings:

On-campus 7-10:00pm on the following Tuesdays: March 29, April 12, April 26, May 3

Overseas (tentative): May 16-May 30, 2016

Once Accepted Into the Program:

1. Health Issues: This is the first step for everyone going to Burkina Faso once you have been accepted into the program. You must make an appointment with the travel clinic at McKinley to get your shots. You need to do this as soon as possible. There is often a rush of study abroad students who all need their shots for their trips. THIS IS URGENT. DO THIS NOW.

Here is the CDC website link for the required/recommended shots and information about staying healthy in Burkina: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/burkina-faso.htm and here is a travel clinic’s website with additional information: http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/africa/burkina_faso.php

You will also need malaria prophylaxis (medical drugs to prevent malaria). Your doctor at the travel clinic will prescribe this for you. Everyone must be taking some type of doctor prescribed malaria medicine or you will not be allowed to go to Burkina. You MUST start taking this medicine before we leave for Burkina and continue it after we return home. Missing doses of the medicine puts you at VERY high risk of getting malaria. I will send a reminder to everyone in December.

You will receive a yellow WHO card when you get your shots and this card is mandatory for entrance to Burkina. DO NOT LOSE THIS. You will not be allowed to get on the flight leaving Chicago without it. There are no exceptions.

2. Visas: Website for the Burkina Faso visa application: http://burkina-usa.org/. Follow the links to visas and instructions on how to apply. Download the visa application form (http://burkina-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/BFA-Visa-Formulaire-de-demande-WASHINGTON2.pdf).

Students will need to fill out 2 copies of the form and send it with their passport, 2 passport-size photos, a yellow fever certificate, a prepaid self-addressed return envelope with number tracking, and a $140 money order to the Burkina embassy in DC.

If you are not a US citizen, you will need to call the embassy in Washington DC to confirm the fees. The phone number is on the linked website above.

3. Security and safety issues: For specific travel and security information about Burkina Faso, look at the State Department website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1075.html. I would also caution that you should read the state department consular information for another country such as France or England which you would probably consider a “safe” country to gain some perspective on how the information sheets are written.

4. Language websites: Here are just a couple of sites.

A. French

https://www.duolingo.com/

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=French

http://www.languageguide.org/francais/

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/French/Contents

http://www.wannalearn.com/Academic_Subjects/World_Languages/French/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/

B. Moré

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=More

http://wikitravel.org/en/Moor%C3%A9_phrasebook

5. U.S. Embassy Travel Registration: Before we leave, everyone must register with the U.S. Embassy website (https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/). It takes about 5 minutes to type in emergency contact information, your passport information, and your itinerary. Here is an explanation from the State Department website about why everyone traveling overseas should register:

“Why should I register? Millions of Americans travel abroad every year and encounter no difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information. By registering your trip, you help the embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most. Registration is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of your travel planning and security.”

6. Packing List (suggested packing list)

7. Malaria Prophylaxis: For information about malaria prevention, read the following website: (http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/). This information is critical—you will not be allowed to travel to Burkina if you do not take your malaria medication.

Everyone needs to start taking their malaria medication BEFORE we leave for Burkina. Follow your doctor’s instructions about when to start taking the medication. Take the medicine at the same time each time you take it. You will continue taking the medication throughout the time in Burkina (either weekly or daily depending on which medicine was prescribed by your doctor) and for a period of time after you return home from Burkina.

If you have any questions about this, talk with your travel doctor that prescribed the malaria medications.

8. Pre-departure Course Information:

There will be 4 pre-departure meetings during Fall 2013. Attendance is mandatory.

Meeting 1: Tuesday, March 29, 7:00-10:00

Meeting 2: Tuesday, April 12, 7:00-10:00

Meeting 3: Tuesday, April 26, 7:00-10:00

Meeting 4: Tuesday, May 3, 7:00-10:00

***You must attend all of these meetings in order to go on the Burkina Faso program.

*Meeting location to be determined

Required readings for pre-departure meeting #2:

Easterly, William. 2006. “The West Can’t Save Africa” Washington Post, February 13, 2006.

Birrell, Ian. 2012. “Our Image of Africa is Hopelessly Obsolete” The Guardian, August 26, 2012.

Duflo, Esther and Michael Kremer. 2003. “Use of Randomization in the Evaluation of Development Effectiveness” Conference on Evaluation and Development Effectiveness. Washington, D.C., World Bank Operations Evaluation Department.

McKinsey Global Institute Report. 2010. “Lions on the Move: The Progress and Potential of African Economies” (http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/progress_and_potential_of_african_economies/index.asp)

Miguel, Edward. 2008. “Is It Africa’s Turn” Boston Review, May/June 2008

Recommended readings:

Easterly, William. 2009. “Can the West Save Africa?” (http://www.nber.org/papers/w14363), Journal of Economic Literature, 47(2): 373-444.

Radelet, Steven. 2010. Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries are Leading the Way. Brookings Institution Press.

Easterly, William. 2002. The Elusive Quest for Growth. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Collier, Paul, and Jan Willem Gunning. 1999. “Why Has Africa Grown Slowly? ” The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 13(3), 3-22.

Besley, Tim and Robin Burgess. 2003. “Halving Global Poverty” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(3), 3-22.

9. Possible Student Presentation Topics:

1. Migration-conflict

2. Health-infectious diseases

3. Microcredit

4. Education

5. Debt relief

6. Child Labor

7. Politics

8. Agriculture

9. Foreign Aid

10. Millennium Challenge Corporation

11. Agriculture-Cotton policy

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Last updated May 16, 2017