TRSM STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS: Fiji, new zealand, and australia!

March 13, 2019

This summer, the Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management is offering students the option to study abroad in a variety of international locations in the South Pacific. These study abroad programs are being put on by AUIP (American Universities International Programs Limited) where students have the opportunity to study a wide range of topics within ecotourism, resource conservation, and cultural studies.

“Studying abroad in Australia was easily the greatest experience of my life. Being able to snorkel in one of the natural wonders of the world, seeing so many wildlife species not found anywhere else, and being able to experience it all with a fantastic group of friends was something I will cherish the rest of my life.”

- Ethan Klohr, Sport Management Major, Australia Participant

Below is a brief description of each program:

UF in Fiji:

This 10-day faculty-led experiential program uses the theme of sustainable development to explore the relationship between people and the natural environment. We examine the complex relationships between Fijian cultural practices, environmental conservation, and eco-tourism. Despite several centuries of outside contact and a unique ethnic mix, traditional Fijian values and customs still flourish and have a profound influence on the connection between people and the land. Fiji is a low-cost layover on the return flight to the U.S. and by combining Fiji with Australia or New Zealand, you could earn 9 credits.

UF in New Zealand:

This three and a half-week faculty-led experiential program will examine resource conservation and the natural, and related social, history of New Zealand. New Zealand’s isolation, after its separation from the ancient Gondwanaland millions of years ago, has left this island nation with a unique natural heritage. The plants and animals that have evolved here are unknown elsewhere in the world. In this course you’ll use New Zealand as a case study to examine different cultural perspectives on the three pillars of sustainability: environment, social equity, and economics.

UF in New Zealand and Fiji:

This program is a combination of both the New Zealand program and the Fiji program, which will see you travelling for 5 weeks. This faculty-led experiential program uses the theme of sustainable development to explore the relationship between people and the natural environment in both countries, examining the complex relationships between New Zealand and Fijian cultures, environmental conservation, and eco-tourism with a view on sustainable business. Fiji is a low-cost layover on the return flight to the U.S. and by combining Fiji with New Zealand, you earn 9 credits.

UF in Australia:

This four-week faculty-led experiential program uses the theme of sustainable development to explore the relationship between people and their natural environment. North Queensland boasts some of the most diverse and remarkable natural resources in the southern hemisphere. Known as the Sunshine State, Queensland is home to lush rain forests, Outback scrub and desert, and the spectacular marine diversity of the Great Barrier Reef. The program also includes time in Sydney, Australia’s largest city.

For more information, please email hgibson@hhp.ufl.edu