Bing Overseas Studies Program-Cape Town (Spring Quarter 2024-25)

The Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) offers the opportunity to study abroad while remaining enrolled at Stanford and is considered an integral part of the Stanford curriculum. All BOSP programs offer direct Stanford credit for courses taught overseas that frequently count toward one or more majors. In addition, many BOSP courses fulfill Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing Requirements (WAYS). Regular tuition applies, and financial aid continues. BOSP operates a variety of programs, including quarter length programs, internships and other opportunities.

The Cape Town program enables students to learn about the city and its achievements and challenges in numerous ways. Internships, research, related academic courses and extracurricular activities are all aimed at helping students achieve a deep understanding and appreciation of the city, the wider Western Cape region, and South Africa in general. While the curriculum is diverse and designed to serve the academic interests of most undergraduates, experiential learning and coursework will usually focus on contemporary issues for post-Apartheid South Africa. We ask students to reflect on the poverties of thinking and doing that they bring with them to this new context, and to consider the gaps in their knowledge and experience that an engaged learning environment can assist in filling.

The Engaged Learning component of the program is complimented by a rich and vibrant academic curriculum which encourages students to explore pertinent issues of a new democracy. These topics include transitional justice, language, the arts as a vehicle for defining space and place, information and communication technology for development, community engaged research, liberation struggles, politics, foreign aid and genocide in South Africa and Africa as a region, and public health. We have a diverse faculty compliment drawn from a range of local universities including the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University. Through classes, internships and research opportunities, students interact with a diverse range of instructors and supervisors.

Program participants will live in the Rondebosch neighborhood.  Rondebosch is close to the University of Cape Town’s main campus and shops, restaurants, and a grocery store are all a short distance away. Cape Town’s distinct scenery, from the dramatic coastline to the striking rise of Table Mountain, makes the city a beacon for nature lovers. Students interested in the history and culture of South Africa can visit the many museums, sites of memory, and archival resources in the city. Beyond the city, trips associated with the Stanford program gives students the opportunity to explore additional locations in South Africa.

• Program Offered: Autumn, Spring, Summer
• Program Capacity: 28 students
• Language of Instruction: English
• Housing Type: Student residence