South Dakota State University Fishback Honors College

05/28/2026

05/26/2026

The Fishback Honors College Team was honored to facilitate the first Sustainable Agriculture Justice Field Course earlier this month. Honors students from seven universities spent time on the SDSU campus and practiced collaboration across disciplines. In partnership with community-based organizations across the state, students ultimately gained an insider’s look at the South Dakota food system.

Read more about our students' activities and takeaways here!

05/26/2026

Honors Study Abroad: Our last full day!

On May 22, students visited a chocolate factory where they participated in a small workshop and got to make and decorate their own chocolates to bring back home! There, they also learned all about the process of making chocolate, from bean to bar.

Afterwards, students enjoyed a two-course lunch together. In the afternoon, students also got a tour of the Cantillon brewery that uses open-air fermentation! After the tour, students got to taste the brewery’s signature beer. The students then shared a three-course farewell dinner in Brussels.

Thanks for following along with our travels this month!

05/22/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 11: Brussels

Our third day in Brussels! With our European Union Parliament visit being in the early afternoon, today brought a lot of free time for our group. Taking the initiative, Noah brought groups of students to two different locations in Brussels!

Beginning the day, Noah led a visit to the St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral. Additionally, students were able to check out local shops, sights, and attractions. Following this period, our group traveled to the EU Parliamentarium. Through a guided audio tour, we learned about the origins of the EU and how they are handling current world issues.

Concluding the day, our group then broke apart for more free time. Noah brought students to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, while others took different side quests, including a stop at the Royal Palace!

We are excited for tomorrow’s adventures, but feeling bittersweet about the end being near.

05/22/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 10: Brussels

Our day started a little rocky, with a surprise stop by the Belgian police and a wrong turn on the way to our first destination, Freÿr Castle. We didn’t let that slow us down, though, and spent the morning exploring the beautiful castle and its stunning 18th-century gardens.

Next, we traveled to the town of Dinant, famous as the hometown of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. There, we enjoyed authentic Belgian waffles, visited the birthplace of Mr. Sax and the Collegiate Church of Our Lady of Dinant, and climbed the 408 steps to the top of the cliffside citadel overlooking the town — a historic fortress that still stands proudly today.

We concluded the day with free time in Brussels, giving us the chance to experience the city’s magical nightlife.

05/20/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 9: Brussels

This morning, the group departed from Ghent to Brussels, making a stop at the Atomium.
At the Atomium, the group learned about the history of the landmark, along with how it was built. The group also experienced a fascinating light show and intriguing escalators.
After that, we went on a walking tour of Brussels to explore the Lower Town where we saw the Town Hall, St. Hubert Galleries, and the iconic Makennen P*s statue.

05/19/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 8: Flanders

The theme of Monday, May 18, was World War I. A short bus ride brought us to several historical locations.

First, we visited the Tyne Cot Cemetery, the final resting place for thousands of soldiers from the British Commonwealth who were killed during the first world war. The Passchendaele Museum allowed us the chance to walk through German and British trenches, as well as to explore dugouts where soldiers would rest and avoid the harsh elements
In Ypres, a stop at the In Flanders Field Museum provided our group with more insight into the social impacts of World War I in Belgium and around the world.

Tomorrow, we move to the final stop on our tour of the Low Countries: Brussels

05/18/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 7: Ghent

This morning, the group said goodbye to the Netherlands and made our way to Ghent, Belgium. While in Ghent, we visited two main historical landmarks.

First, we went to St. Bavos Cathedral and went on an augmented reality tour where the students got AR headsets and walked through the crypt under the church, learning the history behind the Ghent Altarpiece. This altarpiece is very famous and has been stolen from this church many times.

Second, we went to the Gravensteen Castle. This castle was built in the Medieval era. This tour was accompanied by an audio tour where students heard about the different rooms in the castle and what they were used for.

05/18/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 6: Utrecht

We started our first and only day in Utrecht with a walking tour of the city led by a local guide, who taught us some of the city’s history and importance.
Our guide dropped us off at Dom Square, where we descended into the ruins of a nave. Beneath, the square, history was revealed through layers of rubble. After our decent, we climbed 465 stairs to the top of Dom Tower.
Our final stop of the day was Museum Speelkolk, where we discovered the wonders of musical machines throughout history.
Next stop: Gent!

05/17/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 5: Amsterdam

It was our last day in Amsterdam and we started our day off by heading to the Rijksmuseum, where we then got to see a variety of artworks. One of which was “The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer who was an artist we read about in class. We also got to explore other artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, and more.

Later in the day we took the ferry to the STRAAT Museum, which is a graffiti and street art museum that's located in a former shipbuilding warehouse. On the outside of the warehouse there is an Anne Frank mural. We also saw a mural where the artist used “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Vermeer as a reference with the use of AI. The artist decided to leave the mistakes that AI made in this piece. After the STRAAT Museum we made our way over to Utrecht.

Thank you Amsterdam for having us!

05/16/2026

Honors Study Abroad Day 4: Amsterdam

For most of the group, the day started with a 4-hour bike tour through the Netherlands countryside where we learned about the Netherlands wetlands and dairy farms. During that time, others went to visit the Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam.

Next we stopped at the Amsterdam Tulip Museum for a short, self-guided tour before lunch. After learning a lot about the history of tulips and Dutch agricultural practices in class throughout the semester, visiting the museum brought everything to life.

We finished the day with a tour of the Anne Frank House. Our group read “The Diary of a Young Girl” during the spring semester, and visiting the house gave us a deeper understanding of and emotional connection to the Frank family’s experience during World War II.