Overview
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Discover Dakar: A Gateway to West Africa’s Culture and History
Spend six or eight weeks in Dakar, a dynamic hub of art, business, and culture. Immerse yourself in courses taught by local professors from both UCAD (Universite Cheikh Anta Diop) and ISM at the Institut Supérieur de Management, while sharing daily life with a Senegalese host family.
Engage in cultural activities, explore Dakar’s vibrant art scene, and take part in excursions to historical sites like Gorée Island and Lac Rose. From concerts to dance, and workshops in drumming or visual arts, your experience will be rich in learning and adventure.
Dedicated academic and language support ensures you’ll leave confident in both your studies and French skills.
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Get to Know Dakar
Dakar Quick Facts
- Capital city of Senegal
- Official language: French
- Population: 1,030,594
- Currency: CFA Franc
- Average temperature: 80F
Dakar is the capital city of Senegal and westernmost city in mainland Africa. A former French colony, this Francophone influence can still be found in the language, architecture, and cuisine.
Family, music, and storytelling are large parts of this welcoming culture. Senegal is known across Africa for mbalax, a blend of Western-style jazz, rock, and soul with traditonal sabar drums. Hospitality, or teranga in the local Wolof dialect, is so important to the Senegalese that the national soccer team is known as the Lions of Teranga.
Orientation
The first three days in Dakar are comprised of an orientation with APA in order to get to know your new city. This will cover:
- Preparation & Guidance: exploring cultural differences including gender and sexuality
- Historical overview of Senegal
- Health & safety seminar
- Walking tours of Dakar
- Finding your way: practice using taxis and public transportation
- Initiation in Wolof: learn key phrases and the practical use of this local language used in daily life
