On Study Abroad

Princeton’s unofficial motto states “in the nations service and the service of all nation.” However, are all nations equally in need of our service? Are there certain nations in which the University should direct greater effort and aid?

The United States Department of State recognizes thirteen critical foreign languages as part of the National Security Language Initiative. These languages are less commonly studied in the US but are vital to national security, including Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish and Urdu. Right now, the government is in need of Americans who have proficient knowledge of these languages and the area and culture in which they are spoken. Through the NSLI for Youth, and the Critical Language Scholarship, the State Department offers fully funded intensive language study abroad trips for both high school and college students.

These languages are spoken in hotbed areas of American politics such as the Middle East and Asia. Some of which are plagued with war, political discord and economic ruin. In order to best serve and interact with these nations, these countries need people who can speak their language and live in their culture. The government has deemed these nations to be in need of our nation’s service, but does Princeton agree?

Princeton currently offers study abroad programs in only three of these thirteen critical language areas: Princeton in St. Petersburg (Russian), Princeton in Beijing (Chinese), and Princeton in Ishikawa (Japanese). While Princeton does offer language programs in 8 different countries overall, these programs should be expanded to include more critical languages.

Granted, some regions such as Syria, Iraq and Iran are unrealistic for study abroad programs due to war, internal conflict and travel restrictions —and that’s understandable. The University should never put its students at risk; there probably won’t be a Princeton in Afghanistan any time soon. Princeton isn’t able to (nor is it expected to) overcome political restrictions or physical dangers that threaten us all. However, there are tons of regions where both American travel is permitted and safety of students would be ensured. While the University cannot be expected to sponsor trips to Syria, it can send Arabic students to Jordan, Oman or Morocco. Instead of going to Iran, students can study Persian in Tajikistan. The knowledge gained in these countries could prepare a student for work in more dangerous areas of the world upon graduation.

Right now the US needs people willing to cross cultural, linguistic and religious barriers, who are willing to interact with people and find solutions to problems between countries that are largely a product of miscommunication. This is where Princeton can play a helpful role. Princeton should encourage its students to study these languages and cultures and travel to these areas. However, the current study abroad programs seem to do the opposite, discouraging students from visiting these regions and studying these important foreign languages.

At the moment, studying a language like German or French is much more attractive to students. A student interested in studying Arabic will have much more difficulty studying abroad in country like Jordan than a German or French learner would have if they wanted to study their language abroad. First of all, students studying German have the convenience of applying to a Princeton program in which they will be with other Princeton students and assured credit. However, a student studying Arabic is forced to search for programs outside of the University that may not offer credit. More importantly many of these programs are very expensive, harming students on financial aid, who may not be able to afford to go. Some of these non-Princeton programs can cost upwards of $12,000 for an 8-week study abroad trip. Even if one received the max aid available through SAFE, it would barely cover half of the cost! This fact keeps many students interested in critical languages from going abroad who may have been able to do so if they had studied abroad through a Princeton program.

With all of these difficulties and barriers, it is easy to see why Princeton students may be deterred from studying those languages at Princeton which are not paired with official study abroad programs. If Princeton were to offer more programs in these critical languages, it would increase the incentive to learn these difficult, yet very important languages. This not only helps increase our greater campus diversity, but would also help produce a generation of students with enhanced understanding and cultural sensibility to these important areas of the world. To truly be in the “service of all nations” Princeton has to help create students that can offer service to nations that are truly in need of it. Turkey and India are in much more need of our nation’s service than Germany or France. Princeton should help encourage students to gain the skills necessary to enhance relations with these countries.