Study Abroad Programs in Eastern Europe & Russia

During my time abroad, I really fell in love with the career of speech, language pathology, and it made me a lot more excited to pursue my education. I was able to get firsthand experience in what speech pathology looks like in many different ways and I would’ve never had an opportunity like this if I didn’t sign up for Therapy Abroad

Overall, the Middlebury Russian Intensive Language Program in Astana is well-organized and designed to help students improve their Russian. They provide a variety of different course subjects, including Russian grammar. The professors test our knowledge and give us opportunities to practice the language through various mediums such as: presentations, group work, writing tests, and reading and watching movies (as homework) then discussing them in class. Not only this, but the professors are extremely knowledgeable about their topics. They often encourage questions, and will gladly repeat themselves if need be. Shout out to Professor Yuliya K! I particularly enjoyed the information I learned in this class, and how she uses her substantive knowledge of Russian literature and culture to help us understand texts in ways we would have never thought of before.

This program gave me an opportunity that I wouldn’t have been able to do by myself. I had learned a lot about being the best Speech Language Pathologist should look like and continue that with my career moving forward. I would encourage anyone is capable of going on a journey to see it from a different perspective.

I really enjoyed my internship at the hotel, especially working at the front desk. It was a great opportunity to improve my communication and customer service skills while interacting with guests from different countries. The best part of my experience was my amazing team. My colleagues were always friendly, supportive, and willing to help. They made me feel welcome from the first day and created a positive working atmosphere. This internship gave me valuable professional experience and unforgettable memories. I would highly recommend it to other students who want to build a career in the hospitality industry. I am very grateful to the Academy of Tourism and Business in Antalya for giving me this valuable opportunity and supporting me throughout my internship.

I had a fantastic time on my semester abroad in Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade. Based in Vienna, the program took us deep into the heart of European politics, democracy, and diplomatic institutions. Through excellent guest lecturers and site visits, we were introduced to the complexity of Europe. Vienna is a hub of international happenings and a city soaked in history, art, and culture. Staying with a host family was an amazing opportunity to get local knowledge and practice cross-cultural skills. From Vienna, we traveled to Budapest and Belgrade. Through cultural outings, academic discussions, and political events, our knowledge was challenged, changed, and cultivated during the excursions. During the ISP period, I was able to dive deep into the politics of Vienna by exploring the democratic implications of it's excellent public space infrastructure. For anyone interested in international relations, European politics, diplomacy, or democracy, I would highly recommend the program.

I really enjoyed this program! I got to explore Kazakhstan, take interesting classes, and learn independence all while being fully immersed in the Russian Language. Going into this program, I already had an intermediate understanding of the Russian language, but I wanted to learn more about the Russian-speaking world. I found that Kazakhstan — typically unexplored by the average American study-abroad student —and, in particular, the program with Middlebury, were well-suited to my academic and personal goals. I got to work intimately with Kazakh students, learn about a previously unexplored culture, all while eating good food, celebrating important Kazakh holidays, and viewing breathtaking architecture (attached). For Russian-speaking students interested in furthering their academic career and being fully immersed, consider the program in Astana!

Each excursion/tour was so well planned and executed. I loved all of our local guides and cannot praise them enough for everything they did for us during this trip! I loved that our group also had students at varying levels in their OT/SLP journeys. As a rising fourth year undergrad student, it was very helpful to hear about some real life experiences from grad school and beyond! Overall, this trip was an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world! I enjoyed every single minute of it and felt that I’ve been able to build such strong connections with some wonderful people. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!

Being given the opportunity to co-lead this trip to Greece and go with my family was a truly unbelievable experience. I'm so thankful for Bethel University and the Global Studies Program, along with the ACIS partnership that made this possible. As a PreK-12 school principal, I had always seen the flyers in the hall about these trips and made the announcements about meetings. I never considered going on a trip myself until my son (Luke) had a DE Sociology class this year with Mrs. Stacie Freeman. Being that we have never traveled outside the country before, I was hesitant and nervous when he came home excited about this opportunity. As a family, we decided this opportunity was too good to pass up and initially viewed it as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We now know that we want more adventures like this! Around a week before departure we learned that the cruise portion and the visit to Turkey was canceled due to Middle East conflict. Our initial reaction was disappointment; however, Mrs. Stacie and ACIS worked quickly and efficiently to alter plans and secure stellar replacement activities. Now that the trip is over, I cannot imagine the trip being any better and there is zero regret about missing the cruise. We traveled many miles across the scenic landscape and experienced all of the following: Athens---Acropolis, Parthenon, Plaka District and wonderful opportunities to roam the streets. Corinth--- Canal, Epidaurus and the Theater of Epidaurus Mycenae---Pottery making Olympia---Olympic Stadium and ancient Greek artifacts Kalambaka---Majestic Meteora rocks and monasteries Delphi---The famed site of the Oracle of Delphi, Temple of Apollo and the archaeological Museum Santorini---A day flight to experience multiple sites, headlined by the beautiful coastal views and shops in Oia Along the way, we were constantly learning about the Greek culture and history through this immersive experience. Our tour guides, Penelope and Victor, gave us countless learning experiences at stops, between stops, during meals etc. The food stops along the way were rooted in Greek tradition and gave us a sense of the flavor from all over this region. I've looked at the map of our travels several times since beginning our journey home and cannot believe we covered as much ground as we did in a week. This experience was much better than the original cruise plan and gave us the most authentic Greek cultural and historical experience possible. Finally, this trip opened my eyes to international travel. I am no longer intimidated to visit a foreign country and experience the richness found within countries and cultures that are different from ours. Perhaps the best part of the entire experience was the friendships forged along the way. As a group we became very close in a short amount of time through this shared experience. We laughed (a lot), sprung to life with each new stop and gained valuable information on how we can make ourselves and our communities better. It was a pleasure to watch kids from different schools interact and seem like old friends in a very short amount of time. I learned more in one week from this trip than a year could teach me in a class. Programs like this are invaluable assets to Bethel University and the surrounding communities. I look forward to helping spread the message on why future students and community members should attend trips like this. This trip was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

Everything went as planned with great food, accommodations, transportation, and planning. I highly recommend traveling with Bethel University Global Studies, which includes college credit and everything is included in the one price.

I was super nervous to travel because not only was I alone, but it was also my first time out of the country. I was starting to dread going because I thought it was going to end up being super stressful and overbearing. Once I got to the airport and I met up with my group everyone was super friendly and I knew then that it would be a good trip. The process of getting into the program and taking the class (as an auditor) was super easy and everything I had to do was clear to me. This trip is something I won’t forget and I’m so grateful for all of the support and effort put into making it really happen!

There truly are no words to fully describe how incredible this experience has been. I am so very thankful to have been able to tag along with Mrs. Stacie and the others to beautiful Greece. The scenery was breathtaking. The food, culture, people, and accommodations provided such an unique experience. I learned so many things about the Greek culture that I would have never known otherwise. This was the trip of a lifetime.

I cannot say enough about our trip to Greece with Bethel University Global Studies!!!!! We had the best tour guides, so knowledgeable and kind!!!! All of our accommodations were wonderful! Stacie was phenomenal!! She kept us in the know from start to finish and I knew I have nothing to worry about traveling with her!!!! And GREECE😍…it was so much more than I expected!!! Every single place we visited exceeded my expectations!!! Do not hesitate to travel with BUGS, you will not be disappointed!!!

This was definitely the most amazing trip I have ever been on. I've always wanted to travel across the globe and Greece is the perfect place to do it. I 100% recommend this trip wanting to travel abroad.

This Global Studies trip through Bethel University to Greece was the most amazing adventure! My son received a partial scholarship from GCAC and earned 3 hours of college credit from Bethel for being enrolled in this course with Mrs. Stacie Freeman. Mrs. Stacie is a caring, kind, capable professional who challenges students to problem-solve, to be curious about the world around them, to appreciate diversity, and to expand their horizons. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in this amazing adventure with her and the other travelers. The bonds and friendships, not to mention the memories, will be cherished for a lifetime. The course in which my son was enrolled in conjunction with this trip was challenging in that it encouraged him to deep-dive into open-ended research questions related to the history and culture of Greece before the trip so that he was prepared for what he would experience upon arrival. Upon returning, he will write a reflective essay about his experiences in Greece. In my opinion, the partnership with ACIS in this endeavor was very successful. Our tour manager and historical guide were both extremely well-prepared. After seeing the structure of the trip firsthand and the safety measures taken by Mrs. Stacie and ACIS on this trip, we would feel perfectly comfortable allowing our son to travel abroad with them again. What an amazing adventure, and what an amazing opportunity to showcase Bethel University!!🤩

This trip showed me a new part of the world. I learned there are many more cultural differences between the US and other countries. I had the most amazing time and would definitely travel with Bethel University Global Studies again!

This trip taught me so many valuable lessons on independence, courage, and self awareness. I learned how to do things on my own and not depend on my family all the time and to try new things!! Leaving the country was a great experience and i would 100% do it again with Bethel!

I had a lovely time. The adults (our teacher Mrs Staci, our guides Victor and Pinelopi, and our driver Flavio) were knowledgeable, supportive, and ensured a memorable experience. We were exposed to beautiful ancient and modern greek culture, did informative and fun experiences (such as pottery and olive oil tasting), and we enjoyed delicious local cuisine. In addition, I met wonderful travelers and forged lifelong friendships. This has been a great introduction to travel and study abroad, and I feel ready and excited to pursue further travel programs in my future life, education, and career.

This global studies trip to Greece really changed my perspective on life in general. Traveling to a foreign country was outside my comfort zone, but I am so grateful for the knowledge I have gained, the people I have met, and the experiences I have now lived. My favorite part of the entire trip was our day in Meteora. We visited ancient monasteries nestled in the beautiful mountains. This experience was, in my opinion, the greatest. Seeing the jaw-dropping views while learning about ancient Catholic culture in Greece was incredible. This trip was truly life-changing for me. I am planning to travel out of the country more often now to broaden my horizons further. Also, we had the privilege of having an amazing tour guide, Victorus. Our group leader, Pinelopi was outstanding. Our bus driver, Flavio was incredible as well. The people on this trip made the entire experience worth while!

I could not believe when I had to leave Daugavpils that the time passed so quickly! The spring 2025 semester in Daugavpils, Latvia was without a doubt the most impactful semester of my college experience. In Daugavpils, I was fully immersed in the Russian language both at the university and by living with my amazing host family. All of my classes where very interesting and the professors where absolutely phenomenal people. That being said, a great chunk of my learning was done on the weekend excursions organized by the program to Riga, Vilnius, Kaunas, and Tallinn. The plethora of history in the Baltic States is incredible and to be able to live and interact with locals was a truly an eye-opening experience. The friends and connections I made in Daugavpils will last a lifetime and I cannot wait to visit Latvia again!

When I decided I wanted to go abroad, I was nervous about a lot of things. First off, I was scared that when I went abroad I would have to settle for a location I did not want to be in because I needed my credits to transfer over. Luckily AIFS had a program in a wonderful city with a bunch of classes that would transfer back to my home university super well. When I chose this program, I was overjoyed but nervous about living in a homestay. When I got there I was happily surprised to find that my host family was amazing and provided me with an experience I would not have been able to have if I had been in a dorm/apt. The people that I met in the program were some of the coolest people I have ever known and am happy to call them my friends to this day. If you are looking for a great program in Paris where you have the freedom to meet new people, travel, and find yourself in a new place, I would 100% recommend this to you!