Purdue Study Abroad continues mission; deadline for summer, fall term applications is March 1

Maggie Craig, a Purdue student majoring in biomedical engineering, departs for her semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She studied there last fall. (Photo provided)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on international travel, but the work and mission of Purdue University’s Study Abroad office continues and remains as important as ever.

“Our staff, along with faculty and advisors across campus, never stopped working to educate and prepare Purdue students for their study abroad experiences,” said Michael Bittinger, assistant director of Purdue Study Abroad. “We never really went away; study abroad at Purdue continues. There is no doubt that student enthusiasm to study overseas remains very strong.”

Applications are currently being accepted for the summer, fall, and academic-year 2022 terms, with a deadline of March 1.

Due to the pandemic, slightly fewer study abroad programs exist. Some popular destinations still remain closed to visiting students this semester. Spring break will have roughly half as many faculty-led program options as in the past. However, students have filled every single spot within these classes.

“That’s a testament to the determination of students, and the dedication of faculty and staff to make the programs happen,” Bittinger said.

Close to 200 Purdue students are studying abroad this spring semester or will soon depart for their yearlong programs.

Last fall, Purdue sent 49 students to destinations welcoming foreign students, which were France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, South Korea, Hong Kong, Spain, Denmark, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany. They experienced required quarantines, mask mandates, and various forms of virtual and in-person learning, but worked through the ambiguity of life abroad during a pandemic.

Sarah VanBuskirk, a psychological sciences major from Fishers, Indiana, spent four months in Madrid, Spain, and she notes that the experience was educational in many different ways.

“From not being sure if I was even going to be able to study abroad, to fears of the omicron variant affecting my travel back home, COVID has always been a part of this journey,” VanBuskirk said. “I’ve had to deal with some of COVID’s consequences through program delays, rescheduled classes, and canceled flight plans. However, living with this uncertainty has taught me to become flexible and content with ambiguity. I now feel very confident in my ability to adapt to any situation and be comfortable in having to adjust. If I had studied abroad pre-COVID, during any other semester, I would not have learned some of these valuable lessons.”

Current students express similar feelings of resilience. Ben Hardin, a senior in computer science, now in Switzerland for the spring 2022 semester, faced a delay in his original plans.

“I’m very thankful and excited for this opportunity to go now. I am eager to approach it with an open mind and safely take advantage of every experience I can,” he said.

Bittinger said that just before the pandemic, Boilermakers were studying abroad like never before. The offering of substantial financial aid incentives to participate, consistently over numerous years, helped define study abroad as a common part of the Purdue undergraduate experience. Over 450 program options were available in 50-plus countries, ranging from as short as one week to as long as the entire academic year. At its peak, over a quarter of each graduating class was seeking an international experience. But when COVID-19 arrived, things changed.

By the end of March 2020, hundreds of spring semester study abroad students returned to finish their session remotely. Nearly 2,000 additional students met cancellation of study abroad plans over the next year.

As travel restrictions and health concerns recede, Bittinger expects program numbers to rebound and participation levels to return to what they were pre-pandemic. He admires the resilience of the students, faculty, and staff who have made the best out of an unpredictable situation over the last two years.

“Studying abroad is a desirable supplement to the Purdue education,” Bittinger said. “When Boilermakers abroad return to campus, the experiences they share add value to class discussions, group projects, and the overall worldview of our campus community. If COVID can’t hold Purdue students back, I’m not sure anything can.”