This is a Bellevue College faculty-led program. To start application, please contact Prof. Li Liu at li.liu@bellevuecollege.edu
DATES & DEADLINES
- Application & Deposit ($150) Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026
- Balance of Remaining Program Fees ($1250) Due: Friday, May 29, 2026
- Program Dates: Sep 5 – 20, 2026
- departure from Seattle: Saturday, Sep 5, 2026
- returning to Seattle: Sunday, September 20, 2026
To start your application, click on the link here. Once we receive your application, we will be in touch to start the review process. Decision of acceptance can be expected in 2-3 weeks.
Apply early so that you are eligible to apply for study abroad scholarships:
Benjamin Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship Application – due Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Time
Fund for Education Scholarship due – Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026, at 12pm (noon) Eastern Time
Check with Li for more details!
ZOOM INFORMATION SESSIONS
Zoom info sessions are one hour long; they are offered via zoom, on the following days
April 10, Friday, 11-12pm, Zoom registration link
April 23, Thursday, 6-7pm, Zoom registration link
May 8, Friday, 11-12pm, Zoom registration link
PROGRAM DOCUMENTS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
It’s 9:30am. You and three other students will head to the the Institut Lumière, the birthplace of cinema. Later that day we’re swapping stories about your visits, and compare it with the visit a few days ago to Lyon Puppet Museum in Gadagne, a site dates from the early 1st century B.C. (- 76 B.C.). Later into the week, we will visit the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière and learn about the origin of the city at the site inhabited from the end of prehistory, around 12,000 B.C. In the following week, our visit to La maison du livre, de l’image et du son, Villeurbanne’s main media library in the remarkable building designed by architect Mario Botta, brings another highlights of the visual-story-telling legacy the city has to offer. When you join us in France in 2026, you’ll get to experience every excursion at least twice: once as you live it and then again as you write it.
Come study in Lyon, rated the number one city in France for students! Lyon is France’s second largest city and an important European crossroad. Its remarkable location at the heart of Europe links Lyon – with an average of 90 minutes travel time – to all of the major European metropolises including Barcelona, Milan, Turin, and Geneva thanks to a network of transportation by air, road, or rail. The proximity of Provence, the Mediterranean, the Alps, and the large wine regions adds charm to the Lyon area.
Lyon’s fine cuisine is an integral part of the local way of life. The city is the capital of French gastronomy and offers a choice between the popular charm of its famous bouchon bistros, the refined elegance of its two- and three-star gourmet restaurants, and the warm lively atmosphere of its open-air markets.
The 2000-year-old historic center is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site; artistic creativity thrives and cultural activities abound all year round. Lyon truly offers a wide palette of cultural events of international standing. Click here to check out YouTube shorts I published that features destination Lyon! All from my site inspection trip in June of 2025.
TRANSPORTATION
You will have a metro pass that will give you unlimited access to public transportation (buses, metro, tramways) anywhere in Lyon and the surrounding area.
HOUSING
You will be living at a hostel located in the heart of Lyon that is well-connected to public transportation. Get out of the hostel, your discovery of Lyon starts here! Presqu’île, Pentes de la Croix-Rousse, Vieux Lyon, Berges du Rhône everything is within walking distance. The Hostel is located at the bottom of “Les pentes de la Croix Rousse”, a district classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, in a magnificent 19th century building.
FACULTY & COURSES
Li Liu, Ph.D. (Communication Studies ) | I am a professor of Communication Studies at Bellevue College. chairs the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad (WCCCSA), a college consortium offering study abroad programs to other nineteen community colleges in the state of Washington. I received the U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS (Increase and Diversity Education Abroad for U.S. Students) Program in 2023. Under this grant, I led the effort developing a hybrid study-abroad program to Normandy area in France that features war-time narrative across multiple platforms, from traditional films to VR/XR. In the same year, I also received stipend from the French Embassy to participate in the 2023 Community Colleges in France Bootcamp program. I participated in the program in Nancy/Mets, with the University of Larraine, focusing on VR and SmartCity project. I have visited Lyon for the purpose of developing this program. I look forward to visiting the city again with you!
You will register for 1-2 credits from the course, HUMAN 205 Life and Culture Abroad – France.
To earn the credit, you will complete the following:
- attend scheduled group activities and follow Bellevue College student code of conduct while on site in Lyon.
- participate in scheduled discussions and share your reflections from the experiences.
- complete assignments linked to your chosen number of credits.
EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES
- Private group walking tour to learn about Lyon and its 2000-year-old historic center
- Group visit to Lyon Opera, an architectural and historical tour of the building entirely rehabilitated by the architect Jean Novel
- Visit to the Institut Lumière, the birthplace of cinema
- visit to the Lyon Puppet Museum in Gadagne, a site dates from the early 1st century B.C. (- 76 B.C.)
- Visit to La maison du livre, de l’image et du son, Villeurbanne’s main media library in the remarkable building designed by architect Mario Botta
- Visit to Lyon Fine Art Museum
- Visit to La Maison des Canuts and learn about the history of the silk industry in the city
- visit to the museum of confluence
- Visit to the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière and learn about the origin of the city at the site inhabited from the end of prehistory, around 12,000 B.C.
- Once we finalize the enrollment, we can discuss whether we want to have a weekend excursion to one neighboring cities/towns, with additional cost.
COST: $1,400
INCLUDED
- Accommodation in a hostel room shared among program participants in Lyon city center
- Breakfast will be provided in the hostel seven days a week
- All excursions and activities listed in here
- Lyon transport travel pass
- Health insurance
NOT INCLUDED
- Airfare
- College tuition and fees
- Passport and visa fees if applicable
- Any meals not specified in this document
- Personal expenses
- Anything not specified as included in the program
PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION (mandatory)
- Date: mid-June, 2026
- Time: TBD
- Location: TBD
What to bring
- Notepad to take notes
- And questions
Studying abroad and discover the world!
Last Updated April 20, 2026
