Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Italian Earthquakes Impact Study Abroad

At least two American universities have study abroad programs in the Italian city of L’Aquila, which sustained heavy damage in the earthquakes that struck east of Rome on Monday.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Miami University has an exchange relationship with the University of L’Aquila, where Rector Ferdinando di Orio says the campus was “practically destroyed” and four students were killed in the collapse of a dormitory. 

Officials at Miami say they’ll help out by opening the university to more exchange students from L’Aquila this fall. Miami has no students at L’Aguila this spring and will wait to see the progress of rebuilding before deciding on whether to send students in 2010.

Meanwhile, Georgetown University officials told the The Hoya student newspaper they aren’t yet sure whether a group of 10 Georgetown students planning a summer at L’Aquila will be able to go. Another group of Georgetown students currently in Italy were unaffected by the earthquakes.

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