Welcome to the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris.
Hands-on research and cultural learning experiences are a hallmark of the undergraduate experience in the College. Since 2003, the Center in Paris has served as an intellectual destination for our faculty, students, and alumni around the world. Every year, hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of faculty contribute to a vibrant academic community at the Center, which continues to be a pillar of research and scholarship in Europe.
Home to the College’s most in-demand Study Abroad programs, the Center is a place where students and scholars engage in study that transcends borders and disciplines. Moving beyond the traditional exchange model, Chicago students fulfill degree requirements with leading Chicago faculty in dozens of interdisciplinary programs that range from the Core curriculum to specialized offerings unique to Paris. No matter the subject, these programs share a common principle: to blend academic rigor with the College’s spirit of intellectual curiosity in new cultural contexts. Faculty-led excursions to archives, monuments, and museums allow students to experience their subjects beyond the classroom as Paris and its surroundings become the unofficial “fifth course” of each program.
The Center likewise supports the research and international collaborations of doctoral students and faculty from across the University, who make use of the cutting-edge facilities and rich resources of Parisian academic life in collaboration with scholars from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. These benefits are widely recognized on our home campus, where they are evident in our enriched culture of education and research.
During his tenure as dean of the College, John W. Boyer was a dedicated advocate for the importance of cultural exchange, and the new Center is a deeply meaningful tribute to his legacy. As a warm and welcoming intellectual home for all members and partners of our community, the Boyer Center will open pathways for an even wider program of education and research, and in doing so will amplify the University’s global impact and engagement.
Melina Hale, dean of the College, William Rainey Harper Professor in Organismal Biology and Anatomy and the College