From the Roman Forum to Rural Uganda

Even from over 4,000 miles away, it won’t stop Julia Klayman’s ‘25 enthusiasm for the global studies program. As a global studies and political science double major with minors in anthropology and sociology, Klayman woke up everyday for the spring semester of her junior year in Rome. Global studies has allowed Klayman to follow her myriad of interests which, along with the incredible opportunities and amazing professors, has made her a staunch advocate for the program.

Each morning after leaving her small apartment in Italy, Klayman went to the local coffee shop before going to class. She took a roster of interesting courses on topics such as the mafia, terrorism, history, Italian, and, when in Rome, cooking. One advantage of studying abroad is that she got to experience what she was learning about in the field and not just in the classroom. Klayman had classes in the Roman Forum and Colosseum learning from an expert archeologist about anthropology and architecture. 

Living outside of the city meant Klayman got to speak to local residents, becoming a global citizen not just a tourist, and allowing her to become immersed in not only the language but the culture of the country. It's a relaxed culture, but that didn’t stop Klayman from taking advantage of everything that Italy and Europe had to offer. She was able to travel on the weekends and live life to the fullest. Something that has been especially impactful after taking a semester off last fall to undergo chemotherapy treatment.

This summer Klayman will be returning to Uganda, her third summer there, to continue her research with Professor Kelly Austin. Her senior thesis will focus on her ethnographic research on transactional sex in rural Uganda and how certain factors, related to reproductive justice among others, affect people in the region. 

It was Austin who first told Klayman that she should pursue an interdisciplinary major. “The professors in the program have been most impactful,” she said, “and they truly make the program what it is.” Relationships with professors go beyond the academic, she noted, and become real friendships where the professors truly care about you. “It’s incredible how the global studies program cultivates these incredible relationships.” 

The Eckardt Scholar program also allowed Klayman to expand the breadth of her study. “I love that in the global studies program,” Klayman said, “everything that I am interested in falls under one major and allows me to pursue all of these different paths.” She said that incoming students should take advantage of the general education requirements to allow them to explore regions of interest. And she noted, don’t be afraid to come to Lehigh undeclared. 

Klayman plans on going to law school and she knows that her global studies major will set her apart from other students. In interviews, companies have been impressed with her global studies major because it has allowed her to explore so many different disciplines.

Klayman is excited to return to campus this fall. And despite her love of travel, Klayman said, “I feel like global studies is my home at Lehigh.”