UW Hmong Studies in Thailand IAP Program Notes

Transcription

1 UW Hmong Studies in Thailand IAP Program Notes The UW Hmong Studies in Thailand Program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with the Hmong Studies Consortium and International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI). These IAP Program Notes supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from ISDSI as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad. PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION Your primary contact in Thailand will be your Program Leaders. Professor Ian Baird Program Leader Professor Mai Na Lee Co-Program Leader The program is administered through International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI). They will have staff assigned to assist the program. Their contact information will be provided to you by ISDSI. UW-Madison Information Your IAP program team contacts are listed in the Contacts section of your MyStudyAbroad account. Study Abroad Advisor questions regarding academic program, program logistics, student exprience Enrollment Specialist Advisor questions regarding forms, course equivalents, grade processing Financial Specialist - questions regarding billing and payment Emergency Contact Information While in country, you will have the local phone numbers for your Program Leader and ISDSI staff for emergencies. You will call them directly if you need immediate assistance while abroad. A program emergency card is also provided for you in your MyStudyAbroad (MySA) account, which you should take with you and can leave a copy at home. In case of an emergency to inform IAP, call the main IAP number (608) between 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at (608) Embassy Registration All program participants who are U.S. citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Register online before your departure. The task list in your MySA account has a link to this registration page. If you are not a U.S. citizen, check with your home country's embassy for comparable services. This is a free service provided by the U.S. government to U.S. citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. STEP allows you to enter information about your upcoming travel abroad so that the U.S. Department of State can better assist you in an emergency. STEP also allows Americans residing abroad to get routine information from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, as well as updates on demonstration, emergency messages, and other breaking events. 1

2 PROGRAM DATES June 1 28, 2018 June 1 Arrive in Chiang Mai/start of course June 27 Last day of course June 28 Depart Chiang Mai **A daily program itinerary will be provided closer to the departure date. TRAVEL AND ARRIVAL You are responsible for making your own round-trip flight arrangements to and from Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) to arrive on June 1. Flights to Chiang Mai arrive at all hours of the day; it is recommended that you arrive before or by late afternoon/early evening so that you have time to settle in. Flights from the U.S. will be an overnight flight; therefore, you will need to leave the U.S. on May 30. Look carefully at the flight connections BEFORE booking your ticket to ensure that the combination of airport layovers will not cause you to arrive in Chiang Mai after June 1. For the departure/returning flight out of Thailand, it is suggested you book a return flight for later in the day, but it will ultimately depend on your routing. Cheaper flights tend to leave very late, which is fine. Please submit your flight itinerary to IAP by the deadline posted on the task list in your MyStudyAbroad. We will share your arrival and departure details with ISDSI. They will be at the airport to greet you on the program arrival day and take you to the group meeting point. ISDSI will provide return transportation to the airport on the program departure day. In both directions, they may combine trips if students are on flights close in time. Arrival Instructions Airport pick-up will happen from International Arrivals at the Chiang Mai airport. If you first enter Thailand via Bangkok, your flight may come through domestic arrivals. Both domestic and international arrivals are in the same building; the airport is one long building so there are no separate terminals. If you arrive in the domestic area, turn right coming out of domestic and walk through the airport to International Arrivals. There are signs to guide you. A representative from ISDSI will be waiting for you wearing an ISDSI t-shirt and holding a sign that says ISDSI in the International Arrivals area. If you secure a visa prior to departure and choose to extend your stay, note that the program only provides services and support during the official program dates. Outside of the program dates, you are responsible for securing your own housing, transportation, meals, and any other services or assistance you may need. PREPARATION BEFORE LEAVING Refer to the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for essential information, as well to any materials that ISDSI provides. Be certain to read all of these documents carefully as they answer many common questions about cultural, academic, and health matters abroad. Passport A passport is needed to travel to Thailand. Apply immediately for a passport if you do not already have one, or need to renew your passport. Passport information can be found on the U.S. State Department website. If you already have your passport, make sure it will be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of your stay abroad. 2

3 Visa A visa is not required for U.S. citizens for this program for stays less than 30 days. You will receive a 30 day entry permit. A stay cannot be extended in country. U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. Non U.S. passport holders may have different visa requirements. Contact your Study Abroad Advisor if you have any questions. Due to the program length of 28 days and that no visa is required for stays less than 30 days, you will not be able to extend your stay in country unless you apply for a tourist visa PRIOR to the program. You cannot overstay the 30 days without a visa without significant fines and/or being detained. If you choose to travel beyond the 30 days, you are responsible for adhering to the entry/exit requirements. Further information for U.S. passport holders is available on the U.S. State Department website. Note that IAP does not assist with tourist visas. THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM UW Hmong Studies in Thailand is a collaboration between UW-Madison and ISDSI in Thailand. Professors Ian Baird and Mai Na Lee are leading your program and teaching the course. As a traveling seminar, the program leaders and all students will move about Thailand as a group with the support and staff of the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI). Though you will have some traditional classroom time, you will also be actively learning through visits to different sites around Thailand. Course Information You will take a course, taught by Professors Ian Baird and Mai Na Lee, focusing on the history, culture, and the livelihoods of Hmong people through studying several Hmong communities in northern Thailand. You will learn about and engage with Hmong communities through course seminars, guest speakers, field trips, and time spent with Hmong families in homestays. Registration IAP will register you for a special Study Abroad Course for the term(s) you will be studying abroad; therefore, it is not necessary for you to register on the UW-Madison campus for this course. This is a temporary registration, which will be converted into graded UW-Madison credit after the completion of your program. Credits You will choose one of the following 4-credit course equivalencies for your study in Thailand. You must select which course equivalency you would like to receive in the Academics section of your MyStudyAbroad. Anthropology 455: Study Abroad in Cultural Anthropology Geography 475: Special Topics History 273: Study Abroad - Non-Western History Languages & Cultures of Asia 300: Special Topics Grades and Grade Conversions The course will be taught by your Program Leader and graded on the standard UW-Madison grading scale. Refer to your course syllabus for grade information. 3

4 LIVING ABROAD Educate yourself about your host country, but know it won't be possible to prepare yourself completely. There will be situations you will not have anticipated and your flexibility will determine in great part the kind of experience you will have while abroad. Refer to the ISDSI handbook for information specific to housing, meals, and living in Thailand. Housing and Meals While in Chiang Mai, you are housed in shared rooms, typically double occupancy, in a hotel/guesthouse. During weeks spent in villages, you are housed with Hmong families, typically 2-4 students in a shared room in each home. While in Chiang Mai, ISDSI will provide daily breakfast and lunches. Dinner will be on your own. While in rural villages, ISDSI will provide daily meals. Meals not provided will be noted on your program itinerary. You should expect to live simply and not have the amenities you are used to at home. It will depend on the village, but typical housing will include bedding and mosquito nets. Electricity is not guaranteed. Shower and toilet areas are often detached from the house. There may or may not be running water; often there is a host to fill a large water basin. There will not be any hot water. Primary languages spoken by hosts are Thai and Hmong. ISDSI staff will be on-site to assist with any questions. Safety IAP is dedicated to maintaining the personal safety and security for each of our study abroad participants. Our office takes necessary precautions, remains in close contact with program staff and works with them in case of an emergency. You are encouraged to contact your IAP Study Abroad Advisor if you are concerned about your safety or welfare. ISDSI will provide an orientation upon arrival. The locations you are traveling, like locations in the U.S., have safe and not-so-safe areas. We recommend that you follow the usual precautions and use your common sense when going into a new situation. It is recommended that you do not walk alone at night. Travel in groups or with another person at all times, even during the day, if possible. Similar to the U.S. there are precautions to consider when visiting different areas. Be aware of your surroundings and know where you are going. It is advisable to take extra precaution with your passport, money, and valuables, including cell phones. You make yourself a target by having any of these items out in the open. Normally, one should not carry their passport and large sums of cash on their person. Use the same precautions that you would in any major U.S. city, or more so. Use a money belt inside your clothes for the safest way to carry money. Don t travel with anything that you are not prepared to lose. Keeping all your money in one place is not advised guard against possible loss by leaving a small amount of money in your room or buried in your backpack, with a record of credit card information and passport number. If you leave expensive items in your room, make sure to put them in a spot not easily in sight and lock items up when possible. Report all incidents of crime to your Program Leader and ISDSI. Alcohol and drug use Cross-cultural differences exist in the consumption of alcohol. Depending on your host country, you may find the availability and public consumption of alcohol greatly increased or decreased. Often, rules about the acceptability of alcohol use in certain situations or contexts are very different than in the United States. Excessive drinking can impact your health during the program, impair judgment, lead to risk or harm to yourself or others and have an effect on your academic performance. 4

5 Penalties for use or possession of illegal drugs can include jail terms, hard labor, and even the death penalty. Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the program offices are able to exercise effective pressure to moderate these penalties. If you are arrested, you are subject to the host country s laws and neither the UW-Madison s IAP office nor the U.S. Embassy can protect you from the local legal consequences. While on an IAP study abroad program, you are responsible for obeying all local laws. If IAP learns that program participants are using drugs or breaking other local laws, participants will be confronted and may be asked to leave the program. Communication Many of your family members/friends will be anxious to hear from you when you arrive. Please make sure they are familiar with your travel details so that they know when they can expect to hear from you. Be sure that your friends/family know that it will take you some time to get through customs, get your luggage, etc and this may delay your ability to get in touch with them about your safe arrival. Just let them know that you ll communicate with them as soon as possible, and in most cases no news is good news. Making that initial contact with your family back home may take a while as you learn to navigate your temporary home in Thailand. Prepare them for the times that you may not have ability to communicate. Refer to the provided ISDSI handbook for greater details about your experience in Thailand. 5