Participants are sought for a new foreign exchange program between West Virginia University and the University of Szeged, Hungary.

The program is being created by Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Professor Briane Turley, a faculty member in the Department of Geology and Geography, and the Office of International Programs.

Dr. Turley received a Fulbright Alumni Initiative Award last year, the first ever granted to a WVU faculty member. One component of his award involves establishing a summer program abroad in Hungary for WVU students. Turley expects that this years event will lead to regular exchanges between WVU and the University of Szeged.

In addition to Turley, other WVU faculty members who will be participating in the Szeged program include Dr. Robert Blobaum of the History Department, and Dr. Daniel Borsay and Dr. Aaron Gale of the Religious Studies Program.

The 2005 summer program will be located in Szeged, a provincial city of about 260,000 inhabitants located on the Tisza River near Hungarys borders with Serbia and Romania. Szeged is about two hours south of Budapest.

Participating students will earn six credits for a course inSociety and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe.In addition to the classes and several field trips associated with them, students will visit Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Esztergom and Pecs in Hungary.

The Szeged program is open to all WVU students who are eligible for 493-level courses. Cost to each student will be $3,895, which includes round-trip airfare between Washington, D.C., and Budapest, WVU tuition for the course (in religious studies or international studies), lodging and two meals per day in Szeged, basic insurance coverage, and costs associated with the field trips.

The Szeged summer program begins May 27 in Budapest and concludes June 24 when students return to the United States.

For more information, contact Turley at 293-5603 ext. 4345 or bturley@geo.wvu.edu .