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Being Gay in Spain: A Personal Exploration of Progress and Pride
As part of the GRIIS seminar “Building Bridges,” Ethan Gomez, a Boston College student, chose to investigate LGBTQ+ rights in Spain, a subject deeply personal to him. Through research and interviews during his stay in Granada, he uncovered layers of history, resilience, and progress that reflect both Spain’s complex past and its dynamic present.
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Where Literature Comes to Life: Reflections from the GRIIS Book Club
At GRIIS, the Book Club has become a space where literature, laughter, and learning intersect. Through shared readings, creative projects, and informal gatherings, students from different universities discovered the joy of reading in Spanish, and the power of connecting through stories.
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Caring Across Borders: Three Voices from the GRIIS Nursing Experience
Each year, GRIIS partners with Hospital San Juan de Dios in Granada to offer nursing students from the United States an immersive clinical experience that reshapes their understanding of healthcare, compassion, and cultural awareness. These three reflections, from students and a faculty mentor, capture the profound professional and personal growth sparked by this opportunity.
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Learning Diplomacy Abroad: Politics, Culture, and Personal Growth in Granada
Internships and independent study opportunities at GRIIS allow students to go far beyond traditional coursework. From direct exposure to global political discourse to immersive cultural analysis, these testimonies from Brianna Curran, Melissa Wanyoike, and Taylor Anderson reflect how studying abroad in Granada can shape academic and professional paths in international relations.
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When Your Child Crosses an Ocean: A Mother’s Reflection on Study Abroad
Sending a child abroad is never a simple decision. For Christina Allen, it meant trusting the unknown, surrendering control, and watching her daughter transform in unexpected ways. In this deeply personal reflection, she shares how Tyler’s experience with GRIIS in Granada became a journey of growth—not only for her daughter, but for herself.
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Two Journeys, One Granada
The experience of studying abroad is often described as transformative, but each student brings a unique lens that shapes what they discover and what they leave behind. In this reflection, two students from the University of Delaware share their deeply personal accounts of learning, identity, and gratitude during their time in Granada.
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Training for the Real World
In today’s rapidly evolving world, adapting education to social and professional realities is more important than ever. Dimitris Nouridis Martín, Academic Director at the Centro de Formación Internacional Reina Isabel (CFIRI), reflects on the values CFIRI shares with GRIIS, and how both institutions aim to prepare students for meaningful careers and engaged lives.
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The value of shared language
Language exchanges are not just about learning new vocabulary. As these stories from GRIIS students show, they are also about friendship, confidence, cultural insight, and discovering a more personal side of life in Spain. In cafes and classrooms, through family visits and group excursions, participants forged real bonds while improving their Spanish or English.
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Spanish Cinema and TV: Learning Culture Frame by Frame
GRIIS’s Film Club and Video Series sessions offer more than just movie nights; they are windows into Spain’s history, culture, and everyday language. Through shared viewings and group discussions, students experience an immersive way to deepen their Spanish while connecting with each other and the country’s rich audiovisual heritage.
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Sketching the Unseen: Art as a Language for Learning
Art speaks to the parts of us that language sometimes can’t reach. In this article, Lola Cervantes (Master in Drawing, Illustration, Comics, and Audiovisual Creation from the University of Granada) shares her reflection on a collaborative sketchbook project led at GRIIS, and how artistic practices can unlock deeper, more personal connections to a place, a…