After two months spent in our dear city of Paris—six months for students who arrived in September—Hamilton in France students returned safely to their home country following the confinement measures taken worldwide to fight the spread of Covid-19. While it has been heartbreaking for many students to leave France earlier than planned—and for Hamilton staff to see them leave—, we hope that, before departing, they had time to pack in their luggage amazing memories of this personal, cultural and academic adventure. All are eager to continue building on the improvements in French they already made while here and to find ways to come back in the future and pursue their cultural exploration of France’s multifaceted society.

But the semester is not over! After a one-week break during which all faculty teaching Hamilton in France courses at Reid Hall adapted the second half of their program to tap the full potential of videoconference technology and its interactive learning options, we now have the pleasure of talking with students through virtual classes on Zoom. Students will also be able to complete their courses at French universities with online teaching, or independant studies offered by Hamilton directors for a handful of them. Thankfully, the Hamilton in France team and dedicated faculty will see that our program maintains its high academic standards.

During this confinement period and until the following semester for which we are still planning, we will keep posting photos and videos from Hamilton in France on our social media. Despite the stress that the rapid evolution of the pandemic generated in early March, many students kindly and patiently took the time to answer questions about their classes, internships, and other activities before leaving, and we will share these stories here.

Finally, while the program activities in Paris are on hold, learning French is never on hold! So, we count on you to keep on reading in French, streaming French movies, and practicing French whenever you have the opportunity. We look forward to hearing more about Hamilton in France students and alumni, and to learning about their achievements during the chapters following this academic semester or year spent with us.

Prenez soin de vous, et à très bientôt à Paris ou ailleurs 🇫🇷

The Hamilton in France team

Photo: Usually, this part of Montmartre is filled with tourists and Parisians who come to enjoy the view. But now, during the confinement that started March 17, only a few joggers and people from the neighborhood come in this area of the city.