Location

Dakar, Senegal

Program Description

This 6-credit Summer Abroad Program in Dakar, Senegal, is the first JMU program in a Francophone African country. The program is organized in collaboration with the English Department at Cheikh Anta Diop University and the West African Research Center (WARC), which will also serve as the academic and logistical base. The West African Research Center promotes exchanges between African researchers, West African research institutions, and the USA.

This program is open to all JMU students who speak English or French and wish to broaden their perspective of Francophone African history, culture, and cinema. In AAAD 200, students will learn foundations of African thought. Exceptionally, in the summer of 2025, AAAD 200 will be a three-week-long course. Students will also learn about African and African American historical pasts, the origin of Francophone culture in relation to America and France. In AAAD 300 Senegalese Culture, students will learn about Senegal. In AAAD 400 Francophone African Film, students will apply the knowledge of their other two classes to understanding and making film in African French-language cultures.

As part of their Senegalese culture and African cinema classes, students will visit historic and cultural places they learn about during their morning classes at Cheikh Anta Diop University. Excursions and cultural enrichment activities will include a tour of Dakar and its cultural and touristic landmarks, including a visit to Gorée Island with its well-known “Door of No Return” and the “Slave House” (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the African Renaissance Monument, the Pink Lake (Lake Retba), and the Yennenga Center, a cinematographic center.

Gorée Island, just an hour from Dakar, offers a completely different Senegalese experience. It was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast from the 15th to the 19th century. Colonial buildings, including the House of Slaves (now a museum) and the 19th-century Fort d’Estrées (housing the IFAN Historical Museum), illustrate Senegal’s past. The Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum highlights the role of women in West African society. This solemn experience will promote a greater understanding and appreciation of American society through comparison with civilizations of different cultures.

Students will gain advanced intellectual experience, independence, and responsibility through course requirements in a culturally diverse setting and personal exploration of a non-western society’s infrastructure.

Location Description

The program will be based in Dakar, the capital, which is a large cosmopolitan city, located on the coast of Senegal, with a population of approximately 3.5 million. In many ways, Dakar is a hub between Europe, the United States, and the rest of the African continent. It is home to many embassies and consulates of the developed and developing world, several United Nations’ offices and world organizations. Public transportation in the form of buses, taxis and car rapides is easily accessible and inexpensive. The hustle and cosmopolitan flavor of Dakar are in sharp contrast to the rest of the country.

A trip to the Islands of Goree and Ngor within an hour offers a completely different Senegalese experience. The island of Goree lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. It’s historical site which from the 15th to the 19th century was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. On the narrow streets, colonial buildings include the House of Slaves, now a museum. The 19th-century Fort d’Estrées houses the IFAN Historical Museum, with exhibits on Senegal’s past. The Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum considers the role of women in West African society.

Cinema has always been an important part of the Senegalese cultural landscape, supported by pioneers of African filmmaking such as Ousmane Sembene, Djibril Diop Mambety, Safi Faye, Samba Felix Ndiaye, Moussa Sene Absa, Moussa Toure. Dakar is the home of African cinema with various venues such as the Biannual of African cinema, African festivals, Ciné-UCAD (University of Cheikh Anta Diop) and the Yennenga Center, the first cultural center dedicated to cinema in Senegal. Its missions focus on creation, broadcasting, and training. Ciné-Musée is one of the transdisciplinary projects that articulates a dialogue between visual arts and other artistic modes of expression such as cinema.

Director

Amina Saidou | saidouax@jmu.edu | World Languages and Cultures

Peter Jared Eubanks | eubankpj@jmu.edu | World Languages and Cultures

Accommodations

Students have the opportunity to experience the culture through daily interaction with Senegalese families through home stays, a key part of the program. Students have the option to live in homestays in the neighborhoods near WARC or at the University residence in Dakar. Prior to moving in with their host families and as part of the on-site orientation, students spend a couple of days at a furnished apartment within walking distance of WARC. Students here discuss their expectations and learn tips to facilitate communication and integration with the host family. This time also allows students to recover from travel and jetlag and helps build a strong group dynamic. Living in a homestay with a local family is one of the most rewarding ways to maximize linguistic and cultural immersion.

The host families are carefully screened by WARC and are prepared to handle the dietary and hygiene needs of western students. They will also provide breakfast services. Students will have lunch at WARC and for dinner, they can explore the many restaurants within easy walking distance from their home. Supermarkets and a shopping mall are also within walking distance of the host institution and the homes. You may not like the tap water in Dakar, but you can easily purchase bottled water. During excursions the program will provide bottled water. Please remind us if you have any food allergies!

The host families will provide laundry services. They will do your laundry at least once every two weeks free of charge (except undergarments that you should wash yourselves). Hostels, hotels, apartments may or may not have laundry service available for a fee. You will share hotel rooms with two other classmates.

Your meals are included in hotels.During your program, you stay within a 30-60 minutes’ walk from WARC. A shuttle organized by the center will pick up you up and drop you off every day at a meeting point you will be shown by the program assistant. The host families are carefully screened by WARC and are prepared to handle the dietary and hygiene needs of western students. Specific details and expectations will be shared with students during pre-departure orientation sessions and upon arrival. Many other intercultural issues will be discussed during the orientation held by the WARC staff upon arrival in Dakar. After their first night with their host family, students reconvene to debrief, discuss initial observations and pose questions to coordinators. WARC works with students to help make the home stay a cultural learning experience, and to resolve any concerns that may emerge. WARC maintains a small library in its building and provides free, wireless internet access for student laptops and smartphones.

WARC will also manage all logistical elements of the program, including an on-site orientation, information on medical doctors and health clinics, arrangements for travel excursions, and the planning of special events and extracurricular activities. Finally, WARC will provide comprehensive support to both participants in the event of any problems or emergencies.

The host families are carefully screened by WARC and are prepared to handle the dietary and hygiene needs of western students. They will also provide breakfast services. Students will have lunch at WARC and for dinner, they can explore the many restaurants within easy walking distance from their home. Supermarkets and a shopping mall are also within walking distance of the host institution and the homes. You may not like the tap water in Dakar, but you can easily purchase bottled water. During excursions the program will provide bottled water. Please remind us if you have any food allergies!

Additional Items to Consider

For medical attention during students stay in Senegal, there are excellent private clinics such as “Clinique de la Madeleine” or “Imodsen”, approximately 15 minutes by car from WARC. A consultation with a doctor costs $50-60 and the total cost may range up to $200 depending on the prescriptions or additional tests required.

The currency of Senegal is CFA (XOF). United States dollars are not accepted; however, there are ATMs all around, including in the Dakar airport. Most participants simply use their normal debit card to withdraw cash for a small fee. The staff call also help you exchange dollars on a regular basis if need be. Note that Senegal is mainly a cash-based economy. When you first arrive at the Dakar airport, there is no need to exchange money. Wait to meet your local staff. They will guide you through the process and tell you the best options available. You must have your original passport with you to exchange money. WARC advises students to notify their bank before leaving in order to use their cards abroad.

United States nationals do not need special visas to enter Senegal. You automatically receive an entry stamp as you come through immigration at the Dakar airport. The stamp is usually valid for 90 days. To enter Senegal, ALL travelers must show their passports. Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your entry date into Senegal.

Please do NOT carry your passport around with you in Senegal, as loss or theft can be a costly and time-consuming problem. We recommend storing your passport in a safe place and carrying the photocopy the staff will help you notarize upon arrival.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

FR 300 required of students taking courses for French credit.

A promise of good behavior and respect toward peers, faculty and Senegalese culture! Students will be required to sign a good behavior contract.

Open to all class levels and majors, including graduate students.