Professor of Russian and International Studies - Languages, Literatures, and Cultures yhowell@richmond.edu
View BioCzech Republic
Prague: Roots and Robots
May 18–June 20, 2025 (five weeks)
Prague is a glorious city. Eastern Europe is like Europe, only more so! The Czech Republic will be our home base for a program of study that incorporates Cold War history and its cultural/scientific legacy, as well as a new course on Ethics, AI, and green technologies in Eastern Europe.
- LLC 260 (AILT, RSST, GS) shows you how writers and artists responded with wit and imagination to both fascism and communism. (Fulfills literary and textual analysis inquiry).
- LLC 397 (GS) is designed as a hands-on investigation of “green” entrepreneurship in the E.U. You will create your own short film or podcast to capture what you discover as we visit selected innovation hubs in Prague and beyond. A one-week fieldtrip to sites in Romania and Slovakia is included.
Academics
LLC 260
1 unit
Literature and Society in Eastern Europe (AILT, RSST, GS elective)
LLC 397
1 unit
Tech Innovation and Environmental Sustainability in Eastern Europe
Your instructors (both of whom speak Czech and English) have been leading SSA students through Eastern Europe for ten years – we look forward to this year’s emphasis on cutting-edge sustainability initiatives in this history-soaked part of Europe.
Faculty Leader
Cost & Program Information
$6,000
Costs are approximate, do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice as a result of fluctuations in currency values and other factors. Participants are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own transportation to and from Berlin. Airfare and airport transfer costs are not included in the program fee.
- Scholarship Assistance: UR students are eligible to apply for the Holt Summer Study Abroad Scholarship. Selected recipients will receive approximately $1,000 toward the cost of an approved UR Summer Study Abroad program.
- Financial Aid: Students who anticipate needing additional financial aid should view the Nuts and Bolts section of this website and make contact with the Office of Financial Aid with questions.
- Student Athletes: You are eligible to apply for a Weinstein Grant to provide reimbursement toward the cost of airfare. The application deadline is February 14. More information and the application can be found here.
Cost Calculator: Estimate total program costs and payments here.
What's included?
- 2 units of University of Richmond credit
- Course materials
- On-site orientation
- Welcome and farewell dinner
- Accommodations
- Faculty-led field trips and excursions both within the city and beyond, including transit tickets
- On-site oversight by UR faculty leader and program assistant
- 24-hour on-call emergency support
Orientation
During orientation in the late spring, participants will meet as a group, receive important logistical and cultural information, and begin to prepare for their exploration of Latvia. Attendance at all orientation meetings during the spring semester is mandatory.
Housing and Meals
Program participants will live in shared housing in well-managed apartment units in the city center, featuring full kitchen and wireless internet access.
Activities and Excursions
- Day trips in Prague and the surrounding area as well as longer excursions in the region.
- Extended fieldtrip to Bucharest and Cluj, Romania; Debrecen, Hungary; and Košice,Slovakia, with visits to museums, cultural sites, and organizations connected to course content.
Ready to apply?
Application Deadline
February 14
Apply online through Gateway Abroad, our study abroad application portal.