Join us to learn more about the CGIS study abroad program Global Course Connections (GCC): London, UK - London Trough the Lens!GCCs offer a unique opportunity to take what students learn on campus at U-M and apply it abroad in a fun and exciting hands-on class taught by a U-M professor. GCCs include two components: An on-campus course during the winter semester and a 3-week, off-campus field experience that takes place during the following spring (May-June)."With London and the seaside cities of Brighton and London as our setting, students will develop a sense of the distinct convergences of cultures and global identities that make up this region of England. The traditions of pleine aire painting along with the numerous approaches to street photography and the observational documentary are starting points for us to consider as we make our way through the streets of the city. Each neighborhood along our journey offers up different stories and histories and each provide opportunities for the students to engage with and reflect upon their own sense of place and identity within that place. What does arriving, as an outside observer, bring to the vocabulary of cities? Are we flaneurs (Baudelaire’s notion that we can be casual observers of modern, urban life)? Or are we more engaged with the city as a setting for our own individual narratives or diaristic entries? How has the history of England’s Colonial reach shaped the modern city of London? In addition to our planned outings, students will be encouraged to do their own photographic walkabouts during their stay in London."