Video feature: Students explore language, culture in Dar es Salaam

By the Office of Communications on Oct. 13, 2014, noon
Dar es Salaam_index

Princeton’s Program in Dar es Salaam offers intensive study of Swahili and an introduction to East African culture. Many students pursue volunteer opportunities, including Matt Gwin (above), a member of the Class of 2014, who volunteered at an orphanage.

Princeton’s Program in Dar es Salaam offers intensive study of Swahili and an introduction to East African culture. Many students pursue volunteer opportunities, including Matt Gwin (above), a member of the Class of 2014, who volunteered at an orphanage.

Video still from Danielle Alio, Office of Communications

Princeton University's Program in Dar es Salaam introduces students not just to the Swahili language but to the people and culture of East Africa.

Watch the video below to get an inside look at the summer study abroad program, which takes students to Tanzania for eight weeks of intensive instruction in Swahili and an immersion in the daily life of the nation's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. 

The program is based at the Institute of Kiswahili Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam. Many participants use their free time to volunteer in the community through schools, youth programs and community services. 

Play video:

Watch an overview of the Program in Dar es Salaam, including the thoughts of participants and highlights of their summer experiences in East Africa. (Video by Danielle Alio, Office of Communications)

Participants also take field trips, including an academic safari to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and a cultural field trip to Zanzibar Island. 

The program is led by Mahiri Mwita, a lecturer in the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS). The program is sponsored by the Program in African Studies, an affiliate of PIIRS, in conjunction with the Office of International Programs.

 

Dar es Salaam_map

Dar es Salaam, which means “haven of peace,” is Tanzania's largest city and its commercial capital. (Illustration by Matilda Luk and Andrew Matlack, Office of Communications)

 

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