Faculty share what makes studying abroad with SIT in Europe so special

September 30th, 2025   |   Europe, SIT, SIT Study Abroad

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience, and it’s important to choose the right program. SIT offers programs around the world—all framed around critical global issues that transcend borders and touch everyone. Specifically in Europe, where a new country is just a train ride away, our programs allow students to explore these issues deeply from several cultural, political, and geographic perspectives.

Add to this that SIT offers nearly 30 programs in Europe across most major countries and cities, multiple areas of study, minor options, and ‘Choose Your Track’ programs! The result? An experience that is tailored to your specific interests and goals.

We know it’s the details that can make the difference, so we asked some of our faculty members what makes studying abroad with SIT in Europe so special. Here’s what they had to say.

Study abroad in a program that prioritizes student well-being and offers unique experiential learning opportunities.

“What truly sets SIT apart is the passion of our staff and their commitment to building authentic connections with students. We prioritize open, horizontal communication, one-on-one spaces, and constant dialogue that fosters trust, understanding, and personal growth. Student well-being is central to our approach: while academics are the foundation, we encourage students to discover ways to enjoy Seville and take advantage of all it has to offer. There’s cultural immersion throughout the experience, with workshops and classes led by local activists and academics who bring real-world perspectives.

We take students beyond the classroom with unique experiential learning opportunities. The city itself is a cultural crossroads, where students experience firsthand how identity and memory shape activism. Spain’s vibrant politics of the streets makes it an ideal setting to study protests and grassroots movements, such as feminism, environmental justice, and independence campaigns. The program’s excursion and proximity to Morocco offers unique opportunities to explore Euro-Mediterranean dynamics surrounding migration, women’s rights, and geopolitics. Seville also stands out for its strong tradition of social networks, making it a fantastic place to pursue internships and engage with social movements, policy, history, memory, and international relations.”

– Victor Tricot, academic director of Spain: Social Movements, Democracy, & Cultural Identity

Learn directly from locals, while having agency over your studies.

“SIT has a unique, personal relationship with Icelanders, linked to several research and educational institutions around the country. Students get an incredibly close-up interaction with the land, embarking on independent research in close connection with Icelanders. They are on the ground, doing real things with real people, rather than interacting with a larger broker or study abroad institute.

SIT allows you agency over your studies, choosing and designing your own project, and getting a seriously close connection with communities, not the result of a large study abroad/university machine, but rather a small and intimate connection. You get to be a local on the global scale.”

– Dr. C. Palmer, academic director of Iceland: Climate Change & the Arctic

Prepare for your career through designing and conducting fieldwork, and gain practical knowledge of sustainability in one of Europe’s oldest countries.

“Students design and carry out original fieldwork in sustainability and environmental studies, from methodology to data collection and interpretation, producing publishable research or policy papers. Additionally, they actively contribute to local sustainability and environmental justice initiatives in Portugal, gaining practical experience, building community connections, and strengthening career paths in NGOs and grassroots organizations. Students gain in-depth knowledge of sustainable systems shaping the European Union, preparing them for careers in international policy, sustainable business, and environmental governance. All while enjoying everything Portugal has to offer as one of the oldest countries in Europe, with historic cities like Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, medieval castles, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. From fado music and azulejo tiles to the slower pace of daily life—the importance of long meals and café culture—Portugal combines tradition with a relaxed atmosphere that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Our excursions provide rich, place-based learning opportunities. Highlights include traveling to the Azores to study geothermal energy—the only region in Portugal where it is produced; visiting companies across Portugal to understand how large enterprises are integrating sustainability practices beyond greenwashing; and crossing into Spain to engage with local activists from the No a la Mina movement, who are resisting the development of lithium mining near their community. These experiences help students see the complexity of sustainability debates from multiple viewpoints.”

– Cátia Magro, academic director of  Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Take a deep dive into a specific theme from multiple perspectives.

“The Netherlands is synonymous with progressive social policymaking, and it was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Amsterdam has long been considered forward-thinking for their ideas and policies on sexuality.  When students choose to study abroad in Amsterdam, they are given the opportunity to interrogate and critically evaluate those claims in a city that functions as a laboratory for how those lofty ideals can be turned into a reality, as well as a magnet for thought leaders, activists, and NGOs that aspire to do that work. SIT provides students with the opportunity to do a deep dive into one specific theme, and with the material and intellectual resources to explore that theme independently during the last month of the program—whether by pursuing an ISP or doing an internship. 

During a two-week excursion to Morocco, students will explore how these issues are inflected by religion and resonate differently in a Muslim-majority country. SIT is the only study abroad provider in Amsterdam that offers students a two-week international excursion to engage with the topic of the program from a non-Dutch perspective, and we stand alone in complementing the courses students take with two or three guest lectures and site visits every week. SIT is unique in intentionally extending the learning students do outside the classroom, while a two-week excursion to Morocco can be a life-changing experience for many students, and is almost like a second study abroad program altogether.”

– Jonathan Key, academic director of Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality & Gender

Work with experts in the field and develop a global professional network.

“Geneva is the world capital city of health and humanitarian action with a high concentration of experts, UN agencies, and NGOs dedicated to global health. Students have a unique environment to learn about global health, reflect on their own career path, and start their professional network at the highest level. 

Students interact with experts from agencies and leading medical and public health local specialists at the two major university hospital centers in Geneva and Lausanne. They meet with Ministry of Health experts and NGO field experts in Morocco. They participate in a simulation exercise in multilateral negotiation over global health issues, shaped from actual multilateral discussions held at the World Health Organization. In addition, students receive a SwissPass as part of the program, allowing them to hop on any train, bus, or boat in Switzerland for free.”

– Françoise Flourens, academic coordinator of Switzerland: Global Health & Development Policy

Learn more about all that SIT has to offer in Europe—Step into the Map. Every Street Teaches!