Short Programme at MIT - Sustainability: Principles and Practice

Sustainability: Principles and Practice

Date: August 5-9, 2013 | Tuition: $3,300 | Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 2.6

Application Deadline »

Overview  |  Learning Objectives  |  Who Should Attend  |  Program Outline  |  Schedule  | 
About the Presenters  |  Location  |  Updates

 

OVERVIEW

This course will introduce participants to the goals, principles, and practical applications of sustainability. Many organizations, companies, and institutions are increasingly interested in conducting their activities while becoming more sensitive to environmental, social, and other concerns over a longer-term future. Sustainability has many definitions, and includes environmental, social, and economic dimensions. In this course, we will examine the major environmental issues and trends happening in modern society from a scientific and practical perspective, including energy and resource use, pollution, climate change, water, and population. Different definitions of sustainability will be introduced and discussed, and case studies will focus on examining and critiquing sustainability plans from organizations and institutions. The course will present practical skills for participants in the area of integrating sustainability into business practices, operations, policies, and research and development. New research will be presented by faculty working in the area of sustainability science and engineering at MIT.

Content

  Fundamentals: Core concepts, understandings and tools (40%)

  Latest Developments: Recent advances and future trends (20%)

  Industry Applications: Linking theory and real-world 40%)

Delivery Methods

  Lecture: Delivery of material in a lecture format (40%)

  Discussion or Groupwork: Participatory learning (30%)

  Labs: Demonstrations, experiments, simulations (30%)

Level

  Introductory: Appropriate for a general audience (70%)

  Specialized: Assumes experience in practice area or field (20%)

  Advanced: In-depth explorations at the graduate level (10%)

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Describe and define what is meant by sustainability in different contexts
2. Understand the major environmental, social and economic drivers of sustainability challenges
3. Analyze the benefits and limitations of sustainability goals and indicators
4. Formulate short and long term sustainability objectives and plans
5. Appraise and evaluate sustainability practices and programs at an organizational or institutional scale

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is appropriate for professionals from a wide range of industries and sectors who are interested in organizational sustainability. Participants from local, state and federal government, especially those who are engaged in environmental and planning activities, would also benefit from the course.

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PROGRAM OUTLINE

Day 1: What is Sustainability? 
On day 1, participants will be introduced to the concept of sustainability, with special attention to historical and international perspectives. Different definitions of sustainability will be introduced and discussed, and an interactive exercise will explore sustainability definitions and relevance to different organizations and contexts. Topics include:

·         Large-scale trends and grand challenges of sustainability

·         Sustainability in context: historical and multinational perspectives

·         Definitions of sustainability 

Day 2: Trends and Strategies
Lectures and discussions on day 2 will focus in depth on the specific areas in which societies and organizations might be concerned with sustainability. Among these are energy, materials, natural resources (water, land, etc.), and social justice concerns. We will identify common challenges in these areas and strategies to address them, using case studies to inform discussions. Topics include:

·         Sustainability of global resources

·         Materials use and life-cycle analysis

·         Water quantity and quality

·         Toxic substances and policies

Day 3: Setting Goals and Measuring Progress
Lectures and activities on day 3 will identify best practices in setting concrete goals and designing appropriate, measurable indicators in the area of sustainability. This will involve discussions about how to identify and define what is and what is not sustainable. Topics include:

·         Sustainability goals and planning

·         Benchmarks and indicators

·         Measuring progress

·         Adaptive management strategies

Day 4: Business Perspectives
Through interactive assignments on day 4, participants will explore the advantages of sustainability-related planning in a business context, focusing on the “triple bottom line” of economic, ecological, and social progress. An interactive project will focus on hands-on sustainability planning for organizations and their staff.

Day 5: Perceptions, Communication and Wrap-up
The final day’s class will explore relationships between organizations and the public in sustainability efforts. Lectures and discussions will introduce theories and practical techniques to communicate environment and sustainability information within organizations and to the public. 

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COURSE SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION TIMES, SPECIAL EVENTS

Class runs 9:30 am - 5:00 pm on Monday and 9:00 am - 5:00 pm every day the rest of the week except for Friday when it ends at 12:00 noon.

Registration is on Monday morning from 8:45 - 9:15 am.

Special events include a networking happy hour for course participants and faculty on Monday night and a dinner on Thursday evening. Dinner on Thursday is included in tuition.

Please note that laptops are required for this course.

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ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Noelle E. Selin is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a joint appointment as Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. She is also affiliated with the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. Her research focuses on using atmospheric chemistry modeling to inform decision-making strategies on air pollution, climate change, and mercury pollution. Professor Selin received her Ph.D from Harvard University in Earth and Planetary Sciences, in the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group. She developed and evaluated a global, 3D atmospheric model of mercury pollution. Professor Selin has also published articles and book chapters on the interactions between science and policy in international environmental negotiations, in particular focusing on global efforts to regulate hazardous chemicals and persistent organic pollutants. Previously, she was also a research associate with the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, a visiting researcher at the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark, and worked on chemicals issues at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Jason Jay is a Lecturer in the MIT Sloan School of Management, teaching three of the core courses for the MIT Sloan Sustainability Certificate, and coordinating the Sloan Sustainability Initiative and its Research Group (SSRG). His current research focuses on “Paradoxes of Hybrid Organizing” that arise when organizations combine institutional logics from business, government, and civil society organizations. This work builds on in-depth ethnographic research on cross-sectoral partnerships. As a research partner of the Sustainable Food Lab, Dr. Jay has also written case studies of company-NGO collaboration to foster sustainable and equitable food value chains. From 2008-2010, Dr. Jay co-developed and served as a project coach for MIT’s Leading Sustainable Systems (L-Lab) course with Peter Senge and Wanda Orlikowski. This course combined classroom learning on sustainability and leadership with action learning on real-world projects with partner organizations. In the 2010-11 school year, he is teaching the Proseminar in Sustainability, co-teaching "Strategies for Sustainable Business," managing the Laboratory for Sustainable Business (S-Lab) course, and coordinating sustainability initiatives at MIT Sloan. Alongside these “day jobs,” Dr. Jay has been active in improving the energy and environmental footprint of the MIT campus by founding the MIT Generator and the Greening MIT community engagement campaign, and serving as founding member of the Campus Energy “Walk the Talk” Task Force. Prior to MIT, he ran an Internet startup, traveled around the world, taught kindergarten in a progressive preschool, and worked as a consultant with Dialogos International.

Sai Ravela studied Computer Vision and Robotics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he earned a doctorate in 2002. As a graduate student, he became interested in Earth’s sustainability, and joined the Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences department as a post-doc, where he continues today as a Principal Research Scientist. Sai's enduring research interest is to infer and quantify the behavior of Stochastic Fields and Processes. His research suggests new methods to overcome the curses of nonlinearity, dimensionality, and uncertainty—key challenges in describing the evolution of the Earth System. This research has led to Earth-centered applications including new mesoscale data assimilation and storm tracking systems, ecological informatics applications, tools to quantify hurricane risk in present and future, and new laboratory techniques to understand the ocean and atmosphere better. It has also made it out of academia, specifically to a company (WindRisk Tech) he co-founded in 2005. Dr. Ravela has served as a board member for Sustainable-step New England in the past and has delivered several talks communicating climate, complex systems theory, and sustainability to the community. He remains deeply committed to sustainability science and engineering.

Stacy D. VanDeveer is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire. His research interests include international environmental policymaking and its domestic impacts, the connections between environmental and security issues, and the role of expertise in policy making. He has received fellowships from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. He will be a senior fellow at the Transatlantic Academy in Washington, DC for the 2011-12 academic year. He has received research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the European Union, and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA), among others. In addition to authoring and co-authoring over fifty articles, book chapters, working papers, and reports, he co-edited several books, including Changing Climates in North American Politics(MIT Press, 2009); Comparative Environmental Politics (MIT Press, forthcoming);Transatlantic Environment and Energy Politics (Ashgate, 2009); EU Enlargement and the Environment (Routledge, 2005); and Saving The Seas (Maryland Sea Grant Press, College Park, MD, 1997).

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LOCATION

This course takes place on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We can also offer this course for groups of employees at your location. Please contact the Short Programs office for further details.

 

CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme For PhD Candidates from Developing Countries

CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme For PhD Candidates from Developing Countries

According to a new agreement between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, up to 140 students/scholars per year from the developing world will be sponsored to travel to China for up to four years' of PhD study and research. The CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme provides students/scholars from developing countries with the opportunity to pursue PhDs at University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and/or institutes of CAS around China. Under the terms of the new CAS-TWAS agreement, TWAS will be responsible for providing round-trip travel support for 50 awardees each year to and from China, or for providing one way travel support for 80 awardees each year to China. TWAS will make active efforts to secure additional funds to cover more awardees for travel supports. In addition, TWAS will also cover visa related expenses and a contribution to excess luggage fees for stays in China of more than 12 months. CAS will be responsible for a monthly payment to cover accommodation and living expenses. Successful applicants will receive a monthly stipend (including living expenses, local travel expenses and health insurance) of RMB 7,000 (approx. USD 1,100) or RMB 8,000 (approx. 1,250) from CAS through UCAS, depending on whether he/she has passed a qualification test arranged by UCAS for all PhD candidates after admission. The Fellowship awardee who fails the qualification test twice within one year will face the consequences including: 1. termination of his/her Fellowship; 2. discontinuity of his/her PhD study at UCAS; 3. getting a diploma of completion All the procedures will adhere to UCAS regulations and rules. Awardees of the Fellowship will be exempted from tuition fees. The funding duration of the Program is 4 years, divided into: l Maximum 1 year study of courses and participation in centralized training at the International College of UCAS (IC-UCAS) on Beijing campus, including 4 months compulsory courses in Chinese Language and Culture. l Practical research and completion of degree dissertation at UCAS colleges, schools and CAS institutes. General conditions for applicants: Applicants must: l Not take up other assignments during the period of his/her this fellowship; l Be nationals of a developing country other than China; l Must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in a developed country; l Be financially responsible for any accompanying family member. Applicants for PhD Study Scholarship should also: l Meet the admission criteria set for international students by UCAS (please refer tohttp://english.ucas.ac.cn/Admissions/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=78Be maximum age of 35 years on 31 December in the year of application l Have a master degree before the beginning of the fall semester. l Provide evidence that he/she will return to their home country on completion of their studies in China according to CAS-TWAS agreements. l Provide proof of knowledge of English or Chinese language e.g. studies taken in these languages, certificates etc. l Provide recommendation letters from two professors in a relevant field, for example the applicant's supervisor at the home institution or head of department and/or an eminent scientist from outside the home institution. If a TWAS member is familiar with the applicant's work he may ask him/her for a letter of support. Due to privacy reasons, TWAS cannot provide contact details of TWAS members. How to apply for the Fellowship 1．Download and fill in the "Admission Application Form for International Students of UCAS" (http://english.ucas.ac.cn/Admissions/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=78) and "Application Form for the CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship" (See the attachment), and submit these two application forms (Supervisor's Comment Pages not to be included) with the following materials to the Office of CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme at UCAS: l Notarized photocopy of the highest degree certificate (This year's graduates provide a pre-graduation certificate); l Notarized photocopy of the transcript of all undergraduate or graduate study; l Curriculum vitae and detailed research proposal; l Photocopy of the first page of a regular passport l Photocopy of the title page and abstract of each published academic paper; l Foreigner Physical Examination Form; l Payment certification of the application processing fee (RMB 600, see the "Admission Application Form for International Students of UCAS" for more details Note：Applicants may submit scanned copies of the required application document via email. After receiving the offer of the scholarship, applicants are required to send the original notarized photocopy of their highest degree certificate and the original notarized photocopy of the transcript of their undergraduate or graduate study to IC-UCAS. The detailed requirements and contact information of IC-UCAS will be provided in the admission offer documents sent to the awardees. 2. Contact professors affiliated with UCAS colleges, schools and CAS institutes (http://english.ucas.ac.cn/Academics) and get agreement from a Professor to be your tutor (supervising professor). 3. Send the Supervisor's Comment Pages in the "Application Form for the CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship" to your host supervisor/ tutor (supervising professor in China), and ask him/her to fill in the comment pages. Make sure that your host supervisor/tutor (supervising professor) will send the completed "comment pages" directly to the Office of CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme at UCAS 4. The applicant must obtain recommendation letters from two professors in a relevant field, for example the applicant's supervisor at the home institution or head of department and/or an eminent scientist from outside the home institution.If a TWAS member is familiar with his/her work the applicant may ask him/her for a letter of support. Due to privacy reasons, TWAS cannot provide contact details of TWAS members. 5. The applicants who do need travel support for international travel to and from China, should provide a separate written request and send the request together with the "Application Form for the CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship" to the Office of CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme at UCAS. CAS will coordinate with TWAS to process and make decision on travel support issues. Application Deadline June 15, 2013 l Early applications are preferred. Contact Information Office of CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049 China Tel: +86 10 88256424; 88256206 Fax: +86 10 88256207 Email: president-fellowship@ucas.ac.cn TWAS Fellowships Office TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world ICTP Campus, Strada Costiera 11, 34151, Trieste, Italy Tel: +39 040 2240314 Fax: +39 040 2240689 Email: fellowships@twas.org Relevant Information CAS is a national academic institution in China consisting of a comprehensive research and development network, a merit-based learned society and a system of higher education, focusing on natural sciences, technological sciences and high-tech innovation in China. It has 12 branches, 2 universities and more than 100 institutes with around 60,000 staff and 50,000 postgraduate students. It hosts 89 national key labs, 172 CAS key labs, 30 national engineering research centers and about 1,000 field stations throughout China. As a merit-based society, it has five academic divisions. CAS is dedicated to addressing fundamental, strategic and farsighted challenges related to the overall and long-term development of China. CAS and TWAS have had a close and productive relationship for many years, often involving TWAS's Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific (http://www.twas.org.cn/twas/index.asp). Read more about CAS: http://english.www.cas.cn/ UCAS is a research-intensive university with around 40,000 postgraduate students, supported by more than 100 institutes (research centers, laboratories) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which are located in 25 cities throughout China. Founded in 1978, it was originally named the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the first graduate school in China with the ratification of the State Council., UCAS is headquartered in Beijing with 4 campuses and is authorized to grant doctorate degrees in 39 primary academic disciplines, offering degree programs in ten major academic fields, including science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, education and management science. UCAS is responsible for the enrollment and centralized management of the PhD candidates of the CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship Programme. Read more about UCAS: http://www.gucas.ac.cn/site/1 TWAS is an autonomous international organization, founded in 1983 in Trieste, Italy, by a distinguished group of scientists from the South under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. It was officially launched by the secretary-general of the United Nations in 1985. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South. Read more about TWAS: http://twas.ictp.it/ Download:

 

Call For Application – ASD Policy Research Fellowship 2013

Call For Application – ASD Policy Research Fellowship 2013

 

Alliance for Social Dialogue (ASD) announces the Policy Research Fellowship 2013 to prospective policy advocates. The fellowship programme is soliciting applications from young graduates interested to develop their knowledge and policy analysis skills. The fellowship is divided into three broad categories described below. Interested applicants can apply in one of the following categories. 

 

Category 1: Policy Process

This category focuses on the issues related to politics of policy formation such as: policy contestation and discussion, policymaking process and the structural and institutional context for the conceptualization of public policies.  
Applicants can look into: the kind of policies that are likely to be favored or overlooked in the current political condition; who occupies the policy spaces; how policy makers respond to public opinion; how propaganda/rhetoric impact real policy concerns and how politics of demands and consensus influence the policy arena. 

 

Category 2: Policy Gap

This category focuses on the specific public policies of the Government of Nepal. Applicants are encouraged to identify a specific policy on Human Rights, Education, Media, Women or Youth and look into its existing gap (absence of policy or gaps in policy), analyze different policy options and provide policy recommendations. 

 

Category 3:Policies and Practices

This category focuses on the issues related to policy implementation and questions of accountability in its practices. The possible areas of exploration in this category include:  existing gaps in the implementation process, conflicting interests and influences of national and local actors and the challenges of fair resource distribution.  

Applicants may propose to look into the existing challenges on the implementation of the national policies such as different National Action Plans or any other policies with specific reference to the five thematic areas: Human Rights, Education, Media, Women and Youth.

 

 In order to collect information for this category researchers are expected to conduct fieldwork around 45 days outside of the Kathmandu Valley.

 

 Eligible candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

• Must have MA or PhD studies in education, legal studies, political science, public policy and administration, media, social work, sociology/anthropology and any other discipline of social sciences

• Must be a citizen of Nepal and residing in the country

• Must be fluent in written Nepali or English

 

Interested applicants are requested to follow the guidelines provided in the ASD website (www.asd.org.np) and submit the required documents to asdnote@asd.org.np latest by 15 June 2013. Each fellowship will last up to 4 months.

CONTEMPLATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: PEDAGOGY FOR SELF AND PLANET, Lama Foundation, New Mexico

CONTEMPLATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: PEDAGOGY FOR SELF AND PLANET

July 28-August 3, Lama Foundation, New Mexico

 

This summer energize your teaching of Global Environmental Politics.    

 

As professors, we strive to find empowering ways to teach students about environmental issues.  Our efforts are often mixed due to our own struggles to understand the complexity of what is happening, and an inability to instill a sense of the profundity of environmental harm.

 

This summer spend a week exploring how we can become better teachers and more responsible researchers, and find personal ways of coming to terms with environmental dangers.  Join a small group of academics in the mountains of New Mexico investigating “Contemplative Environmental Studies: Pedagogy for Self and Planet” (July 28-August 3). 

 

The workshop invites participants to explore the role of contemplative practices in teaching environmental studies.  It assumes that there is a connection between one’s inner life and environmental efforts, and uses experiential exercises such as art, meditation, nature walks, and journaling to investigate the interface.  Led by academics in various disciplines as well as an artist and meditation instructor, this workshop is for all who seek a more intimate relationship with their teaching and research, and who want to explore how personal growth is related to environmental teaching and engagement. 

 

For more information visit: http://www.american.edu/sis/gep/Contemplative-Environmental-Studies-Workshop.cfm

 

The workshop is open to professors and advanced graduate students.

Course announcement: non-credit Certificate in Decision Making for Climate Change

The University of British Columbia, the University of Washington, the University of California-Irvine and Northwestern University are pleased to offer a non-credit Certificate in Decision Making for Climate Change.  http://www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/climate-change-decision-making.html

 

 

Program Highlights:

--Completely online
--Comprised of 4 courses

 

+Climate Literacy
+Strategic Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change
+Framework for Strategic Leadership
+Policy Response and Options

 

--Successful participants receive a certificate in Decision Making for Climate Change from 4 partner-universities:

 

+University of British Columbia
+University of Washington
+University of California-Irvine
+Northwestern University

 

More details about the curriculum can be found here:  http://www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/climate-change-decision-making.html

 

We are now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 program which begins in September 2013.

 

Applications are accepted on a rolling-basis, so apply as early as possible, but no later than the application deadline: 13 September 2013.

 

 

McKay Caruthers| Program Manager | UW Educational Outreach| 206.685.9682 | mcaruthers@pce.uw.edu

 

Seminar announcement: Planning and Managing Tourism in Protected Areas

Planning and Managing Tourism in Protected Areas

September 10-25, 2013

download seminar brochure here
On the web: http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/cpamt-tourism-course

INTRODUCTION 
The mobile seminar on Planning and Managing Tourism in Protected Areas is an intensive, 2.5 week seminar (in English) for individuals involved in efforts to use tourism and outdoor recreation in protected areas. The seminar will review how tourism in protected areas can help create public support for conservation, contribute to public health, fund protected area management, and provide economic benefits to local communities and national economies. Ideal participants will be mid-level professional and technical personnel who work for governmental or nongovernmental conservation and tourism organizations, in academia, in the private sector, and in community-based and indigenous tourism and conservation initiatives in or near protected areas.

SEMINAR OVERVIEW
The seminar will begin on the campus of Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, next to the majestic Rocky Mountains, one hour north of Denver, Colorado’s capital city. Most of the seminar will be spent in the field visiting protected areas offering a wide range of tourism programs.  These parks and reserves include a wide variety of habitat types and cultural resources and are managed by federal, state, and local governments; NGOs; and private landowners. Highlights will include trips to Rocky Mountain, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and several national forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges plus visits to a western Dude Ranch (agro-tourism) and a variety of other local and regional tourism attractions. A variety of protected area management categories, governance types, and types and levels of tourism activities discussed will provide participants with unparalleled opportunities to learn about tourism planning and management approaches in protected areas and adjacent gateway communities.  
 

THEMES AND TOPICS COVERED

·         Planning for tourism and public use in protected areas: zoning, management plans, indicator and standards-base planning frameworks, stakeholder involvement and destination planning

·         Legal and policy frameworks: best practices in legal and policy frameworks to support sustainable tourism and conservation

·         Typology of tourism activities in protected areas: recreational opportunity spectrum; common activities (hiking, sport fishing, sport hunting, water sports, winter sports, bird watching, camping, picnicking, guided tours, etc.)

·         Tourism and climate change: resilience, mitigation, adaptation and education

·         Institutional arrangements: role of different government actors and levels of government; local communities, landowners, academia, businesses, NGOs, indigenous people, universities, industry associations, user groups, volunteers, and concessionaires and other public-private partnerships

·         Monitoring and evaluation: visitor expectations, behavior, and impacts; environment impact assessment; long term monitoring of environmental, economic and social impacts of tourism on natural areas, cultural heritage, communities and wildlife; risk assessment

·         Infrastructure; transportation networks; hotels; campsites; souvenir shops; restrooms; food and fuel; emergency services; signage; staff housing and facilities; public services (water, sewerage, electricity, trash disposal; communications, etc.)

·         Interpretation and environmental education; guided and self guided walks and trails; visitor centers; night programs; wayside exhibits; publications; the role of guides and outfitters

COURSE COSTS 
The course fee of $5,000 includes course registration and tuition, course materials, lodging, most meals and ground transportation costs during the workshop, insurance (health and accident), and basic outdoor equipment. Air travel costs and visa and passport fees are not included in the course fee. It is recommended that participants bring an additional $300 to purchase appropriate personal equipment for field trips. This cost does not include airfare from participants’ countries to Denver, Colorado (DEN) or from Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC) to their home countries; these are the beginning and ending airports we will use. Colorado State University (CSU) does not offer scholarships to the course. Participants and their organizations are expected to cover their travel and tuition costs directly or with the help of sponsors. CSU can help accepted participants to process short-term visas for their travel to the USA once tuition has been deposited into our course account.
 

PARTICIPANTS
You can expect to participate with a group of around 18 to 24 participants, and with many different backgrounds. English language competency is a prerequisite for participation.
 
LEARNING METHODOLOGY
Participants will travel to a number of destinations over a 2.5 week period. The workshop will combine a series of modules and activities on cross-cutting issues that involve intensive and active engagement of the participants. Teaching methods will include lectures, discussion sessions, small group exercises, participant presentations, and informal exchanges among participants, faculty and invited speakers.
The workshop will also include a variety of activities to build camaraderie and help participants understand the challenges to sustainable tourism in natural areas and the importance of highly trained personnel. These include a challenge “ropes” course, interpreter-guided hikes, and spending time with concessionaires and outfitters to experience firsthand protected area tourism programs. Throughout the course, there will be numerous times where participants will present on selected topics to the rest of the group, thereby sharing their expertise and providing examples from around the world. 
 
ABOUT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
For more than fifty years, Colorado State University's College of Natural Resources has played a leadership role in research, teaching, training, and technical assistance related to the world's parks and protected natural areas and associated tourism and recreation activities.  The Center for Protected Area Management and Training (CPAMT) at CSU was formed to assist protected area professionals in strengthening the management of the world's protected areas and adjacent lands. CPAMT has conducted training for tourism and conservation practitioners for over 20 years in the US, Latin America, and throughout globe.

2013 COURSE DATES
2013 Course Dates: 10-25 September 2013. Participants must arrive in Denver, Colorado (DEN) on September 9, and must plan to depart from Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC) on September 26.
 
HOW TO APPLY 
Please send us your abbreviated CV or resume, a letter of interest, a completed application form, a copy of your passport photo and information page, a copy of your US visa (if you have one), and a letter of institutional support (or letter of recommendation if self employed or a student). 

 

Download application form here: tourism course application form.  

For additional information you can email the course coordinators at:  protectedareas@colostate.edu
 
Applications will be accepted May 9 - June 24 2013. Successful applicants will be notified by July 1. Tuition funds must be deposited by July 15, 2013 to guarantee your space in the course. 
 
COURSE COORDINATORS
Jim Barborak ( jim.barborak@colostate.edu) and Ryan Finchum ( ryan.finchum@colostate.edu) are the course coordinators. Dr. Steve McCool of the University of Montana will serve as senior course adviser. Additionally, the course draws on expertise from University faculty and our agency partners.

 

E-Learning Course - Introduction to a Green Economy, 27 May - 19 July 2013

Introduction to a Green Economy: Concepts and Applications 
  
E-Learning Course, 3^rd Edition

27 May – 19 July 2013

 

Last slots are available for the e-learning course “Introduction to a Green Economy: Concepts and Applications”, 27 May to 19 July 2013.

The course is delivered by UNITAR in partnership with UNEP, ILO and UNIDO and provides interested stakeholders from government, business, civil society and academia with an introduction to the green economy concept. Participants will learn about different concepts and facets of the green economy, including its contribution to addressing climate change. Special attention is given to global, national and sector-specific challenges and opportunities to advance low-carbon, climate resilient and socially inclusive development. Additionally, participants will begin to acquire basic skills for applying the green economy concept in an economic, policy-making and personal context.

 

The ability of national actors to act on the green economy is key for effective policy making and achieving tangible results. To address this challenge UNITAR is working closely with UNEP, ILO and UNIDO in a new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), focusing on national capacity development.

 

Comprehensive information and registration details are available at:

http://www.unitar.org/event/introduction-green-economy-concepts-and-applications-3rd-edition

Registration is open until 17 May 2013.

 

Please feel free to disseminate information about this course through your networks, and don’t hesitate to contact us (envgov@unitar.org) should you need any further information.

 

Yours, 
  
The UNITAR Environmental Governance Programme Team

-----------------------------------------------

 

BACKGROUND

 

The concept of a green economy is receiving increasing international attention, as countries explore new patterns of development that take into account economic, social and environmental sustainability considerations. The recent UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), June 2012, reaffirmed the role of a green economy in achieving sustainable development. The ability of national actors to act on the green economy is key for effective policy making and achieving tangible results. To address this challenge, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is working closely with UNEP, ILO and UNIDO in a new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), with a focus on national capacity development.

In order to provide interested stakeholders from government, business, civil society and academia with an introduction to the green economy concept UNITAR, together with PAGE partners, is delivering an interactive e-learning course from 27 May to 19 July 2013.

 

TARGET GROUPS

 

The course targets groups and individuals that are interested in obtaining a general understanding about the green economy concept and latest developments. They include:

 

•    Civil servants in national Ministries, provincial departments and local authorities

•    Diplomats from Permanent Missions and Ministries of Foreign Affairs

•    Environmental managers in private sector and civil society organizations

•    Faculty, researchers and students

•    Interested citizens

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

Participants will learn about different concepts and facets of the green economy, as well as global, national and sector-specific challenges and opportunities to advance low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive development. Additionally, participants will begin to develop basic skills for applying the green economy concept in a real world economic, policy and/or personal context.

 

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Define the concept of a green economy and explain its value
• Identify enabling conditions for greening national economies
• Identify principal challenges and opportunities for greening key economic sectors
• Describe national planning processes in support of a green transformation
• Recognize international and regional initiatives and support services to foster green development
• Apply the green economy concept to a real world economic, policy and/or personal context

METHODOLOGY

 

The course pedagogy is adapted to professionals in full-time work. Participants are provided with the opportunity to learn through various experiences: absorb (read); do (activity); interact (socialize); and reflect (relate to one’s own reality). The total number of learning hours is 40 over an 8 week period. During weeks 1-5 the reading of an e-book is complemented by a range of learning activities and experiences that include interactive exercises, discussion forums, and an applied case study. Weeks 6-8 are reserved for wrap-up and completing course assignments.

 

COURSE FEE AND REGISTRATION

 

The course participation fee is 600 USD. For details please contact the UNITAR Environmental Governance Programme at envgov@unitar.org

 

Register at:

http://www.unitar.org/event/introduction-green-economy-concepts-and-applications-3rd-edition

Registration deadline: 17 May 2013.