Announcing the 2026-2027 Penn Global Seminars
Pictured: Bicycles: The Mechanical Advantage with travel to the Netherlands
Penn Global Seminars (PGS) combine on-campus coursework with immersive travel experiences, offering Penn undergraduates the chance to engage in global learning, no matter their class year or major. The 2026-2027 course lineup spans diverse disciplines, providing students with unique opportunities to explore the world while advancing their studies.
Highlights of next year’s seminars include:
- 20 courses offered over the 2026-2027 academic year.
- 6 new courses with travel to Bermuda, Armenia, Italy, Brazil, and the U.K.
- Courses offered in a diverse array of disciplines, including biology, classical studies, engineering, history, sociology, and more.
- 14 returning courses, demonstrating Penn Abroad’s commitment to sustaining relationships with global communities and Penn faculty.
Continuing our mission to keep the program cost low and accessible to all students, PGS participants will pay only a $950 flat program fee: round-trip airfare, accommodation, most meals, and course related activities are included.
Applications for the Fall 2026 semester will open on March 23, 2026 and close on April 6, 2026. For more information about the program visit the Penn Global Seminars page on the Penn Abroad website. Course descriptions can be found on the Penn Global Seminars courses page.
In the 2026-2027 academic year, the following Penn Global Seminars will be offered:
Fall 2026
With Travel over Winter Break 2026/2027
- Exploring Traditional Chinese Medicine
Dr. Jianghong Liu; School of Nursing
Travel to China - Global Business Communication for Impact
Sara Mangat and Camille Vallinino; The Wharton School
Travel to the United Kingdom - Tropical Marine Ecology
Dr. Katie Barott, Department of Biology; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Bermuda
Spring 2027
With Travel over Spring Break 2027
- Cairo as Palimpsest
Fayyaz Vellani, Critical Writing Program; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Egypt - Global Radiation History: Living in the Atomic Age 1945-Present
Dr. M. Susan Lindee, Department of History and Sociology of Science; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Japan - Sustainable Development and Culture in Latin America
Dr. Teresa Giménez, Department of Spanish and Portuguese; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Costa Rica - The Material Landscapes of Mediterranean Islands, Scientific ApproachesÂ
Drs. Jason Herrmann and Vanessa Workman, Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM), Penn Museum & Department of Classical Studies; School of Arts and SciencesÂ
Travel to Italy - Bicycles: The Mechanical Advantage
Dr. Dustyn Roberts, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics;
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Travel to the Netherlands - Before Netflix: The Past and Present of Latin American Television
Dr. Juan Llamas-Rodriguez; Annenberg School for Communication
Travel to Mexico
Spring 2027
With Travel in May 2027
- Disability Rights and Oppression: Experiences within Global Deaf Communities
Dr. Jami Fisher, Department of Linguistics; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Italy - The Great War in Memoir and Memory
Dr. Warren Breckman, Department of History; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to France - Embodying Calabria’s Past, Present, and Future
Dr. Amanda Dilodovico, Critical Writing Program; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Italy - Armenia: Remaking State and Nation After Communism
Rafael Khachaturian, Critical Writing Program; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Armenia - Amazonian Landscapes and Forest Histories of Architecture
Dr. Vanessa Grossman, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture;
School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Brazil - European Foreign and Security Policy in Times of Crisis
Dr. Valeriya Kamenova, Department of International Relations; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Bulgaria - Policy Task Force on US-China Relations
Neysun Mahboubi, JD, Department of Philosophy, Politics and Economics; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to China - Global Aging – Challenges and Opportunities
Dr. Iliana V. Kohler, Department of Sociology; School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Malawi - London in the Time of Cholera: Sewage, Sickness, and the Stink of Empire
Dr. Alison Buttenheim, Family and Community Health; School of Nursing
Travel to the United Kingdom - Korean Language & Culture (Beginning Korean II and Intermediate Korean II)
Haewon Cho and Dr. Hyesun Jang, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations;
School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to Korea - Chinese Language (Intermediate II and Advanced Modern II)
Dr. Xiaomeng Zhang & Dr. Jiajia Wang, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations;
School of Arts and Sciences
Travel to China