By Ashley Feng
Castles, high mountains, and large forests may sound like images straight from a fairy tale. However, these elements can be found right in the country of Wales, a part of the United Kingdom. “Wales” might ring a bell when Americans hear about Ryan Reynolds and the Wrexham soccer team, but most don’t know about its historical places, rich language, and wild landscapes.
Drawing on his past experiences, Dr. Matthew Jones from the University Writing Program (UWP) created the UF Study Abroad in Wales program. It focuses on international studies, law, and public relations. Jones first visited Wales with friends he met from a previous study-abroad experience in London. He explains there was something about Wales “that really spoke to me on, I guess you could say, a spiritual level.” When he returned, Wales always stayed in the back of his mind. While completing his PhD at the University of Connecticut, Jones went back to Wales and studied the Welsh language and literature.
Following his PhD in English, he started setting up internships with Welsh organizations for students in America. He said these opportunities were “a way to feel like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing both for students I worked with domestically and also with this place with which I had such a deep connection.” His fascination for Wales played a huge part in his creation of the new study-abroad program at UF.
As a new faculty member in the UF University Writing Program in the fall of 2021, Jones looked for a way to fit study in Wales into existing opportunities at UF. Teaching a Writing in Law class and finding no study-abroad programs for pre-law students, Jones had an idea. He searched for connections and experiences students could access in Wales “where there was space for opportunity to be created in UF… and law is where things sort of constellated.”
As the first UF-sponsored and faculty-lead study-abroad program for pre-law, UF in Wales carries six credits and is scheduled for its first run in Summer 2023. The coursework involves writing and law: three credits in writing and international studies and three in an international internship working with clients in different cases. Students will take part in work study at the Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre. They will also be able to visit different places in the Welsh government. Jones says, “we’ll go to Parliament, we’ll go to the Senate, we’ll go to the Executive Chambers, we will work with enforcement agencies….” This exciting aspect of the immersive program will help expose students to differences in government structures between Wales and the United States.
When asked about his feelings towards the upcoming study-abroad trip, Jones says he is “beyond excited just to be a participant in other people’s own journeys of self-discovery.” He hopes the students will have positive and meaningful experiences. The high excitement is apparent, as numerous students have already applied for the program, and his colleagues are similarly enthusiastic. Dr. Melissa Mellon says, “the depth of quality Dr. Jones has built into his program attests to his great connections in Wales. His program will be such an asset for his students, especially those who are pre-law.”
More information about UF Study Abroad in Wales can be found at Study Abroad on the UF International Center website.
About Ashley Feng: Ashley Feng grew up in South Florida and is a biology major graduating in 2026. She enjoys playing the piano, learning foreign languages, and roller skating. She would love to travel the world.