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Early this summer, 14 �鶹Ӱ�� students completed an intense itinerary on two continents—Europe and Africa—over​ 19 days. They engaged with 12 diplomats, nine human rights activists and eight staff from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They went behind the scenes at the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, holding candid conversations with people who craft international policies in the places where those policies are made. “I do not feel like I have ever learned so much in such a short time,” says Allie Wong ’25, a mathematics and politics double major. “Nor have I ever had so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

The Pomona students were enrolled in Diplomacy and Human Rights in the Mediterranean, a full-credit seminar led by Mietek Boduszynski, associate professor of politics and former U.S. diplomat. Exploring issues on both the north and south sides of the Mediterranean, students saw first-hand their interplay in two very different cultural settings. “The goal of promoting democracy and human rights at times comes into conflict with key national security objectives,” says Boduszynski. “Diplomacy often entails balancing multiple, sometimes competing priorities.”

This was the first course offered as part of a new Faculty-Led Programs initiative, designed to provide thematic study-away experiences with direct links to the College’s faculty and curriculum. Facilitated by Annie Lam and Nicole Desjardins Gowdy of the International and Domestic Programs Office, it grew out of faculty and student interest and the recommendations of the Global Pomona Project.

Starting on May 26, shortly after the end of spring semester, the students traveled to Belgium, the political capital of Europe. On their first day they met with a briefer at the European Parliament, where they asked insightful questions about the role the EU Parliament plays in foreign affairs and human rights. The next day it was on to NATO, where they learned about the alliance’s counterterrorism partnerships in North Africa, and then to the Brussels office of Human Rights Watch, an influential, worldwide non-governmental organization. On other days, they visited EU institutions such as the External Action Service and the European Commission. The students “were confronted head-on with sobering geopolitical interests and realities,” says Boduszynski. Central issues such as migration, they learned, may constrain the pursuit of policies that support human rights.

After nearly a week in Belgium, the class moved to Morocco, where they gained another perspective on issues of diplomacy and human rights. During a stay of almost two weeks, students interacted with and learned from many Moroccans: a leading journalist, a renowned novelist, and several activists working to alleviate poverty, assist migrants and refugees and advance the rights of women and members of the LBGTQ+ community.

The program was open to students from any major. For some, it was an opportunity to get a taste of career options. “We got to meet with several current U.S. foreign service officers,” says Wong. “For those of us who had any interest in working in the government, those were useful conversations to understand what the real experience in that job is.”

Dahlia Edidin Locke ’25, a history major planning to attend law school, agrees. She found the interactions with diplomats and NATO officers to be “eye-opening experiences.” The students were able “to see diplomacy in action,” she says, and it “gave us a glimpse of what working in these fields day to day might be like.”

“My career aspirations were relatively open-ended coming into this program,” says Camille Green ’26. She is double-majoring in public policy analysis and French. “I learned that I do not want to be a foreign service officer exactly,” she says, but she was “drawn to the work of the think-tanks and NGOs we visited, like the Global Governance Institute and Human Rights Watch.”

Regardless of major or career interests, the experience of traveling and learning in what for many was a new part of the world left lasting impressions. “I’m a first-generation immigrant college student, and I didn’t ever expect to be in these spaces so early in my academic and professional career,” says Camila Amaya Navarrete ’27, who was born in El Salvador. “It is a surreal experience to hear diplomats and community leaders speak first-hand about their experiences. The site visits . . . put readings and theory into practice and real life.” She came back from the trip with a priceless souvenir. “Visiting the author Mahi Binbine in his home was memorable because when I asked for his autograph in my copy of his book Horses of God, he proceeded to create a literal piece of art,” she relates.

For all but two of the students, it was their first time in Africa and in a Muslim-majority country. “One premise of the program is that diplomats need to understand the historical, cultural and societal context in which they operate,” says Boduzynski. So, along with hearing from 42 speakers, students also visited cultural landmarks such as the impressive Grand Place in Brussels and the stunning Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. They learned to cook the traditional Moroccan dish tagine from a local woman in an Atlas Mountains village and joined a pickup game of soccer with local children. “I think they walked away from this with more open hearts and minds, greater cultural awareness and a more nuanced understanding of the challenges inherent in striving for a world in which more people can live in freedom and dignity,” says Boduzynski.

Would the students recommend the experience to fellow Sagehens? “A thousand times yes,” says Locke.