Inventing Paris: Making Space in the Age of Global Capital

Although we tend to see Paris as a kind of living museum, the French capital and its hinterlands have been carefully shaped and organized by architects, urban planners, community activists, and politicians since the late 1950s. Inventing Paris: Making Space in the Age of Global Capital examines the invention of a new, Contemporary, international, and interconnected Paris designed, for better and for worse, in response to the various crises that determine urban life in the 21st -century.

• Program Dates: July 21-Aug 8, 2025

• Program Location: Rice Global Paris Center | Paris, France

• Who Can Apply? Any Rice Undergraduate. This is an interdisciplinary course designed for students interested in learning about global cities, architecture, landscape design, economy, political economy, and the challenges of today, including climate change, migrations and integration, water scarcity, transportation and the complexities of the hinterland. Note for graduating seniors! You are welcome to apply to this course; however, Rice summer aid (i.e. Rice financial aid) is not available to seniors who have obtained enough credits to graduate by the end of the spring semester. Additionally, you will have to postpone your graduation date to the summer in order to participate. You are, however, still eligible to apply for both RICE GLOBAL tuition and travel awards included in the course application.

• Tuition Cost: $1,800 per credit hour (this course is 6 credit hours).

• What's Covered: The program will provide housing for all three weeks, metro card for all three weeks, course-set excursions/tickets, three group meals, and travel insurance.

• Financial Aid: If you already receive financial aid, you are eligible to receive financial aid for up to 9 credit hours a summer for two summer, at 50% of the tuition rate, i.e. if a Paris course is three credit hours and $5,400 total tuition, eligible students would pay $2,700. Rice summer aid (i.e. Rice financial aid) is not available to seniors who have obtained enough credits to graduate by the end of the spring semester.

  After submitting your application, our office is in direct contact with the financial aid office who will let us know if you are financial aid eligible for the summer. If you are accepted, you will immediately know how much financial aid you have available in your acceptance letter.

  To find out if you are eligible before acceptance to a course, contact: fina@rice.edu. To learn more about summer financial aid requirements, please visit: https://financialaid.rice.edu/summer-students.

• Additional Assistance from Rice Global: Students can also apply to receive additional assistance (for both tuition and travel) from Rice Global. Application for assistance is included in the course application.

• Credit Hours: 6 credit hours

• Course Instructors: Dr. Fabiola López-Durán and Dr. Gordon Hughes

• Course Description: Moving from medieval streets to the 19th -century grands boulevards, we tend to see Paris as a kind of living museum, suspended in the amber of history. But this view of Paris as frozen in time is deeply misleading and conceals a very different, constantly evolving lived reality that has been carefully shaped and organized by architects, urban planners, community activists, and politicians since the late 1950s. Since the loss of its colonies during the presidency of Charles de Gaulle (1958-1969), France has placed Paris and its hinterlands at the center of its political ambitions to reassert French presence and power in the world. More than just the capital of France, 21st -century Paris is a global capital in the age of global capitalism. Inventing Paris: Making Space in the Age of Global Capital examines the invention of a new, contemporary, international, and neoliberal Paris designed, for better and for worse, in response to the various crises that shape our current political, economic, social, and ecological moment.

• Who is this class for? Any Rice Undergraduate (no prerequisites required). This is an interdisciplinary course designed for students interested in learning about global cities, architecture, landcape design, economy, political economy, and the challenges of today, including climate change, migrations and integration, water scarcity, transportation and the complexities of the hinterland.

• Course Zoom Information Session: Take a look at the Information Session recording to learn more.

• Syllabus: Take a look at the draft syllabus - subject to change.

• Does this course fulfill a distribution and/or Analyzing diversity requirement? No

For questions, please visit our student program page or email pariscenter@rice.edu. The application deadline is January 31, 2025.