On March 25-26, students enrolled in the Arcadia University study abroad program at the American Graduate School in Paris program went on a trip to Strasbourg, which is the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as one of the seats of the European Parliament. AGS is Arcadia’s affiliated campus in Paris.

The students visited the Council of Europe and met with speakers who explained to them the history and functioning of this international organization, which was founded in 1949, and whose members include all European countries except Belarus, including non-European Union countries. The students also were introduced to the European Court of Human Rights, which conducts one of the main missions of the Council of Europe. The trip also featured a boat ride and visits of some of the famous landmarks of the city, such as the Strasbourg Cathedral and the Astronomical Clock. Students enjoyed typical Alsacian food; some of them tasted Alsacian sourcrout and Munster cheese for the first time.

The trip, therefore, combined the experience of the typical local culture of this city at the heart of the Alsacian region of France, and the discovery of Strasbourg as one of the European capitals.