Georgia Tech’s 25-year-old European Union study abroad program has undergone its most significant evolution to date with a new focus on technology governance, an optional research add-on, and two new stops — Geneva and Bern, Switzerland.

While the trip will remain a cornerstone experience for many interested in Europe and international affairs, the program now offers more opportunities for students, including STEM majors, to gain deep on-the-ground insight into international technology governance by directly engaging with the global bodies that regulate tech.

The program, which is accepting applications through Feb. 15, now also includes an optional research extension with two tracks — economic security and space policy.

“Despite the rapidly changing international system, the European Union remains the key trade and investment partner of the United States, an indispensable ally, and an essential area of study,” said Vicki Birchfield, professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the program’s director.

“With talented new faculty like Carly Potz-Nielsen and Thomas González Roberts, it is an opportune moment to evolve the program and incorporate a new focus on technology governance where their respective expertise can provide intellectual depth and dynamism," said Birchfield, who also is co-director of the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies.

The program allows students to earn 12 credit hours in 10 weeks, with the possibility of earning up to three more credit hours through an optional research add-on. 

A seminar course on the European Union (INTA 4230/6320) and a class on Human Rights in Europe (INTA 3031/6803) will return. However, to accommodate the new focus on tech governance, a European security course previously taught during the study abroad will be folded into the Transatlantic Relations course (INTA 3223/6833). 

That will free up space for a new technology governance class taught by Potz-Nielsen and Roberts: Global Politics of Technology (INTA 3044/8803).

"The added focus on technology governance taps into some of the biggest challenges future policymakers will face,” said Potz-Nielsen. “With tech woven into almost every part of our lives and digital markets booming, understanding the roles that governments can — or should — play in regulating technology tackles fundamental questions about privacy, security, and fairness.” 

Students participating in the program will visit centers of European power, influence, and culture, including Metz, Strasbourg, and Paris in France; Brussels; The Hague and Amsterdam in the Netherlands; and Bucharest, Romania, where students will visit Romanian military headquarters, research firms, and cultural sites. The program also visits Munich and Berlin, as well as Geneva and Bern, Switzerland.

Those stops in Switzerland will be particularly interesting to students interested in technology and space policy, said Roberts, an assistant professor and director of the new Engineering Space Policy Laboratory.

“Switzerland plays a unique role in shaping how technology is governed worldwide, from outer space to the digital economy,” he said. “This program is a chance to see that innovation and governance evolve together — and showcase how both liberal arts and STEM students have a vital place in shaping that future."

Students may also extend their program with a two-week research option, choosing between a track on economic security and digital economies offered by Potz-Nielsen, as well as Roberts’ track on space policy. 

Both tracks will guide students through a full-cycle research experience, utilizing semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and structured observation with partners throughout the 10-week itinerary to develop a final project.

Applications for the program are due Feb. 15, with payment due on April 15.