Pepperdine University Celebrates 60th Anniversary of International Programs
May 24, 2023 – Malibu, CA – This year marks the 60th anniversary of Pepperdine’s International Programs, which began in the fall of 1963 with the University’s inaugural study-abroad program in Heidelberg, in what was then West Germany.
“What a testimony to peace between nations that Pepperdine University chose to place its first international program in the oldest university town of a country with which it had been at war only some years earlier,” said Daniel Daugherty, who has been the director of the Heidelberg program since 1993 and teaches German literature there.
Having grown substantially over the past 60 years, International Programs now offers year-long educational opportunities in London, England (established in 1984); Florence, Italy (established in 1985); Buenos Aires, Argentina (established in 2000); and Lausanne, Switzerland (established in 2007). Beginning in the fall of 2023, the Swiss study-abroad program will move from Lausanne to the Château d’Hauteville, a fully renovated 18th-century estate located in the hills above Vevey, overlooking Lake Geneva.
Unlike most university study-abroad programs, which place students in an international setting for just one semester, all of Pepperdine’s permanent study-abroad opportunities allow students to immerse themselves in a foreign culture for a full academic year.
“Students participating in Pepperdine’s international programs become more aware of the world, more aware of others, and more aware of themselves,” said Cox. “Students become both more confident and more caring. Indeed, they become more themselves—who God created them to be.”
Pepperdine stands out as a leader in international educational opportunities, with approximately 80 percent of Seaver College students participating in a study-abroad program during their undergraduate years. Over the past 60 years, more than 15,000 Pepperdine students have participated in International Programs, with nearly 4,000 of those being Heidelberg alumni.
About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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