Graduate School of Fine Arts
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
Federal Grant for Study Abroad in Holland, Germany, and Italy
The Department of Architecture in the Graduate School of Fine Arts of the University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with Illinois Institute of Architecture (IIT) and Southern California Institute of Architecture (SciArc), has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Education to establish a joint European Community/United States (EC/US) consortium for the exchange of students between the US and Europe. The project, "Global Imperatives for Architectural Education," will support the exchange of approximately 30 students of architecture over a three-year period. Richard Wesley, Head of the Department of Architecture is the Project Director for the federal grant and, with the assistance of Sang Lee, a Lecturer in the Department, will act as the US Lead Partner in the joint consortium.
"In addition to providing a framework for the full-semester exchange of students between the US and Holland, Germany, and Italy," said Richard Wesley, "the program will include an intensive preparation course on "Globalization and Architecture" at the beginning of each academic year and be followed by summer internships in selected architectural offices in the host countries. Along with our new alliance with the Architectural Association (AA) in London, the joint consortium will offer the students in our Department the opportunity to study, live, and work in Europe. It will also provide a framework for having European students of architecture enrolled in our Department." The grant from the U.S. Department of Education includes funds for teaching, student and faculty travel, and language instruction.
The $500,000 project is jointly sponsored by the US Department of Education "Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education" (FIPSE) and the European Community "Directorate-General for Education and Culture." Approximately $200,000 (40%) of the total cost of the project is being funded by the Department of Education; $100,000 (20%) by the European Community; $100,000 (20%) by the U.S. consortium members (Illinois Institute of Technology, Southern California Institute of Architecture, and the University of Pennsylvania); and $100,000 (20%) by the E.C. consortium members (Bauhaus Universitat, Technische Universiteit Delft, and the Instituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia).
updated 05 December 2000