The World Courts in Europe study abroad program will not be offered in Jan. 2026 or for the foreseeable future, per an email sent by Associate Director of the Piper Center Leslie Moore to students who participated in the program in Jan. 2025.
Associate Professor of Political Science Anthony Lott and Moore decided not to offer the program after determining that the changing political landscape of the United States means that they will not be able to replicate the course in its current state.
World Courts in Europe is a January Term course that allows students to gain a deeper understanding of European courts and international law. Students learn how countries interact and solve conflict, work with international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN), and witness how courts prosecute international crimes and promote human rights. The program begins in Switzerland, then travels to Luxembourg, France, and the Netherlands.
“It ultimately gives you a perspective as an American on non-American methods of governance,” Andrew Baker ’26 said. “Olaf likes to talk about preparing students to be globally-engaged citizens, and I think that program is a really concrete example of how that works.”
In order for the program to function, it is reliant upon stable relationships between the United States, other countries, and international organizations. The United States’ recent trend toward isolationism — for example, withdrawing from WHO — has created an instability in which program partners may be unable or unwilling to collaborate again.
“Already on the trip last year, we could see some tensions rising with the new administration and how foreign policy was going to be affected,” Norah Langager ’26 said. “I think that when we got back, things escalated even further, almost to the point of no return.”
Cancellations of St. Olaf study abroad programs are not an uncommon occurrence. All programs must adjust to decisions made by the United States government and the governments of host countries, recognizing issues related to safety, visa policies, tourism, and migration, among others.
“The state of the world is always changing, and we have to shift with it,” said Interim Director of the Smith Center for Global Engagement Theresa Heath. “By cancelling now, we can also create opportunities for students to go on a [different] program rather than wait and see what could happen in the next eight months because there are so many unknowns.”
Students who participated in the last iteration of the World Courts in Europe program expressed disappointment with the decision.
“I was very sad when it was canceled. I loved the program, and I was already reaching out to people who I thought would be a good fit for it,” Langager said. “It makes me a little worried about other programs and opportunities to go around the globe.”