Study abroad to South Africa

Experience to focus on landscape, rocks, and people of South Africa

Next summer, Kirkwood Community College students will have an opportunity to broaden their horizons and study beyond the borders of the United States.  Kirkwood recently received a grant for a planned expedition to South Africa in July of 2025. The grant is from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program.    

The trip will be hosted by the University of Mpumalanga and will be led by Kirkwood Geology Professor Fred Ochs. Ochs said he has led students on foreign excursions before, and this will be his third time leading students into Africa. 

This particular trip, centered around the “Evolution of the Earth” and “Global Studies” courses, will last two and-a-half weeks and will garner a total of six credit hours, according to Ochs. 

The expedition will visit several exotic locations such as national parks and gold mines, offering students numerous opportunities for field studies.  This adventure will also allow students to interact and experience the native cultures and customs of South Africa.  From the tastes of new foods to the opening of exciting discourse with their South African peers.   

The expedition will provide students with the opportunity to “open their eyes to the world abroad,” said Ochs. 

For more details about the trip, visit kirkwood.edu.

Experience highlights

• Kruger National Park: See lions, rhinos, water buffalo, leopards, elephants, and more; learn the ecology and the landscape of South African wilderness
• The Geotrail: Go back billions of years in a few miles of road
• Excursions to Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, a gold mine and farms
• Interact and learn alongside University of Mpumalanga students

Source: kirkwood.edu/studyabroad