Academic Program

This international environmental planning and management course will explore relevant aspects of policy development and implementation through study visits to leading university centers, national/regional government agencies, international organizations, such as the International court of Justice and UNESCO, economic development and resource management authorities, and the European Union.

Specific study plans include:

• A theoretical and practical orientation at Dutch university centers with visits to the Agricultural University of Wageningen and the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, Enschede. Seminar topics include environmental modeling and monitoring of air and water quality, land use planning, soil and water management, environmental and agrarian law, and role of remote sensing and geographic information systems.
• Land reclamation, regional development and land use planning in the newly reclaimed Zuiderzee polders (Flevoland and Lelystad).
• Coastal zone development, management, and protection - the Delta Project and the Port of Rotterdam (including a tour of the Europort Harbor, the world's largest).
• Groundwater management in coastal environments.
• Solid waste management and recycling (visit an integrated, solid waste recycling and composting facility - VAM).
• European policies, roles, and multilateral agreements, European Union, Brussels.
• Environmental policies and the role of the United Nations organizations (visit to UNESCO's Man and Biosphere program, Paris).

Students will be expected to enroll for a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of six (6) credits from the following courses:

• RD 480/891 Environmental Studies Abroad 1-6 cr.
• ANR 475 International Studies in Agriculture and Natural Resources 1-4 cr.
• ANR 491 Selected Topics 1-3 cr.
• AEE 475 International Studies in ANR Education and Communication Systems 1-6 cr.
• AEE 875 International Studies in Agriculture Extension and Education 1-64 cr.
• ISS 310 People and Environment 4 cr.
• SSC 496 Field Studies Abroad 3-6 cr.
• ESA 480/891 Environmental Studies Abroad 1-6 cr.

Additional credits may be obtained upon instructor approval.

Although the program is intense and requires careful planning of available time, participants will have some time to visit historic sites and cultural attractions in the major cities of this region - Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. Specifically, two weekend stopovers are planned in the Netherlands and France. The academic program preparation includes review and discussion of relevant readings available in the coursepack, including briefing materials. Student participation requires the preparation of thoughtful questions prior to institutional and site visits, and a paper on a relevant course topic by mutual agreement with the instructor.

For additional information on the academic program:

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Click here for a prospectus (graphics-intensive slide show)