Portugal is an enigma: the heart of the first modern world empire, it is also a small country with the oldest settled
national boundaries in Europe.  In Portugal, old and new mix in surprising ways. The country is both an innovative crossroads of international exchange, and a peaceful harbor of cultural tradition.

The Portuguese Studies Program fosters and directs intensive cultural and professional learning experiences for University of Louisville students in Portugal. The emphasis is on exposing students to the relations between urban and rural, between national, European and Lusophone identities, as they develop in this westernmost country in Europe.