Nestled between the awe-inspiring summits of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tanzania is a sought-after destination for students seeking a study abroad experience in a beautiful, unconventional and intellectually challenging setting. Surrounded by stunning scenery and situated near deep crater lakes, shamba farms and coffee plantations, the Arusha campus of Arcadia University, Center for Education Abroad is a great place for students to learn both in the classroom and outside it. 

Arusha is a meeting place for devotees of many disciplines. Tanzania's natural setting has inspired artistic expression, encouraged scientific research, and motivated environmentalists to conserve species, habitats and national parks. But nature is only part of Arusha's appeal: Tanzania's history makes this a dynamic backdrop for international students studying politics, economics and other social sciences.

Established in partnership with the East African Community (EAC), the Arcadia Center for East African Studies is a state-of-the art international peace and conflict resolution research and training facility. Based at the Nyerere Centre for Peace Research in Arusha, the program strives to unify theory with practical applications. Student projects, programs and research all contribute to founder Julius Nyerere's vision of promoting peaceful regional conflict resolution and democracy. Graduate students in the summer program will witness and participate in changes and reforms in the field of international development. Students in the semester program are required to take a course in Kiswahili, and field trips to the Masai community and sites of interest round out both the academic year and summer programs.

Arusha's many international schools attest to its status as a truly cosmopolitan place. International schools at the primary, middle, and secondary levels include the Braeburn School, St. Robert's International School, and the Arusha International School. Post-secondary institutions include Monduli Teacher Training Centre, Tanzania Adventist College, and the Technical College Arusha.

Hardly the only attraction in the area, Arusha is a portal to the Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Arusha National Park. Arusha is still evolving, and only recently received official designation as a city, but nevertheless enjoys a solid, longstanding identity as one of Tanzania's leading tourist destinations and the sole producer of a gorgeous tri-hued mineral called Tanzanite.

Students in Arusha will encounter an area that is at once a tourist attraction and a place of strong local customs. Students will be immersed in the farming culture of the Waarusha and Wameru tribes, and share in the appreciation of an intricate ecosystem that is home to hundreds of species.

Blessed by year-round cool, dry air due to its altitude, this safari haven is also the rugby center of Tanzania and the host city for the national team. The music scene is just as lively, and local Swahili-language hip hop has emerged as its own sub-genre, known locally as "Bongo Flava."

A study abroad experience in Arusha, which President Bill Clinton once called "the Geneva of East Africa," is both international and African. An example of the best of contemporary East Africa, Arusha is beloved by locals and visitors alike as "A-town."

Resources -

IIEPassport.org: www.IIEPassport.org
Study Abroad Funding: www.StudyAbroadFunding.org
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: www.iie.org/gilman
Arcadia University, Center for Education Abroad: http://www.arcadia.edu/abroad/default.aspx?id=11378
East African Community: www.eac.int

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