"One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Normandy Beaches, the Caen War Memorial and the American Cemetery. Of course we have all learned about D-Day and World War II in history books and from our grandparents, but standing in that very place was indescribable. The museum offered so much insight about the war. Then when we went to the beach, the bunkers were still standing and I was able to stand inside of bomb craters. I tried to imagine what it must have been like to fight there and what my grandfather must have felt. This may have been a small part of the education that I was intended to get from my study abroad, but it is the part that I will remember most vividly."

Participant in the summer 2004 France FESIA program

This program is available to undergraduate students through an agreement between Texas A&M University and France's Federation des Ecoles Superieurs d'Ingenieurs en Agriculture (FESIA). The program is designed to provide a variety of topics to students enrolled in business, economics, political science, management, agribusiness, agricultural economics, language, international trade, agronomy, animal science, food science, horticulture, and many other disciplines. This is a combination program consisting of a faculty-led component and a Reciprocal Educational Exchange Program (REEP) component (see explanation below).

The School and the City Students will study at the Ecole Superieure d’Agriculture (ESA) located in Angers, France in the Loire Valley, where, along with modern processing plants, the greatest variety of crop and animal production in Europe can be found. ESA is one of five advanced schools that make up the FESIA consortium and is recognized by the French government as a superior institution of higher learning. Angers is located in Western France two hours by TGV (high speed train) from Paris. A city of 160,000 inhabitants, it is proud of its parks, gardens, theaters, museums, a 12th century fortress, and the longest tapestry in the world. It is the home of the famous Cointreau liqueur factory and a number of modern industries. The local population has developed a reputation for being very hospitable to foreign students.

The Program The purpose of this program is to introduce students to the French way of life, France’s role in the European Union, and the rich heritage of French culture, while providing concentrated study in one of four options: Agriculture/Ag Business, Viticulture, Horticulture, or Gastronomy and Tourism (student’s choice). The program is taught entirely in English, though students do learn the basics of the French language. Students can live with a host family, in the dorms, or in an apartment with a French student. Meals are provided by the University cafeteria and/or with the host families. Students also have the opportunity to intern up to an additional four weeks on a French Farm, learning firsthand the agricultural production in France while living with a host family. The internship requires a basic understanding of the French language and is an additional cost separate from the program.

AGEC 402 The course will begin in late April with a series of lectures and assignment of seminar topics the students will research and present to students and faculty at ESA.

Faculty-led and REEP This is a combination program consisting of a faculty-led component and a Reciprocal Educational Exchange Program (REEP) component. A faculty member from TAMU will lead the group of students, teaching the AGEC 402 course, hence “faculty-led.” For the REEP component, prior to departure students are registered for a "holding course" at TAMU (AGLS 301) and complete paperwork prior to leaving the U.S. that allows for substitution of this holding course for another TAMU course upon completion of the program. Paperwork will be made available at at the first program meeting in the spring semester. Once students arrive in Angers, they register for the specific course which has been approved as the Texas A&M equivalent course meeting their needs. Once the program is complete and the students return to Texas A&M, they will complete the equivalency conversion process for the holding course (AGLS 301) in conjunction with their program coordinator and the relevant departments to replace the holding course with the course which was approved as the TAMU equivalent.

Schedule

• Week 1: Introduction to France and the EU: French language, history and civilization, agriculture and food habits; the role and organization of the EU. Field trips: local winery and tapestry museum. Weekend trip to Normandy, visiti
  Dates:  5/31/2008 to 06/28/2008 
  Location:  Ecole Superieure d'Agriculture (ESA); Angers, France
  Cost:  To be determined. The TENTATIVE cost for the France FESIA Summer 2008 program is approximately $3,600, which includes accommodations in France, meals, program-related transportation, cultural excursions & field trips, laundry service for bedding & towels (if living with host family) & international insurance. Not included in this cost is TAMU tuition & fees, textbooks & course supplies, airfare, passport, and personal expenses (ie., souvenirs, phone calls).

Eligibility:

• Must be in good standing with Texas A&M University and have approval of professor.
• Open to ALL majors with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
• Must have completed AGEC 105 or three hours of ECON 202 or ECON 203 by the end of Spring semester prior to studying abroad.
• Must be able to attend AGEC 402 course meetings with Dr. Litzenberg in late April.
• Must be able to attend all Study Abroad program-specific meetings and the General Orientation Workshop in the spring semester.

Contact: Dr. Marco Palma in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Lisa Tauferner in Study Abroad.