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Graham Scholars Program: sustainability education through an interdisciplinary international case study

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  • Education for sustainable development
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Abstract

A course for upper division undergraduate students was developed in response to a request for a cross-disciplinary course in environmental sustainability with an emphasis on an international issue. The topic selected for the course focused on the energy needs for Chile and a proposal for five hydropower projects on the Baker and Pascua Rivers in the Patagonia area. Collaborations between the University of Michigan (USA) and the University of Concepción (Chile) to develop the course led to a plan to offer a parallel course at both universities, with the students of both courses participating in a site visit to Patagonia. The courses were structured to enhance learning through interdisciplinary team-based activities. The courses were taught in a seminar format, with invited lecturers to provide background information on technical, environmental, economic, social, and political issues surrounding hydropower development in general and the proposed projects in particular. The students combined this information with insights obtained during the site visit to prepare a variety of course products, notably an assessment of the concerns of the various affected stakeholder groups. Assessment of the course outcomes is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Financial and administrative support from the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute (UM) is gratefully acknowledged. For the financial support of the Chilean students, we thank Project No. 2007010 of Teaching Direction, Graduate School Direction, and Academic Vice-Presidency of the University of Concepción. We also are thankful for the financial and administrative support from the Environmental Science Center Eula. We also gratefully recognize all of the individuals who participated in the two courses, including those who made presentations in either course or who helped organize the various field trips.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 113 EWRE, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2125, USA

    Steven J. Wright & Jeremy D. Semrau

  2. EULA-Chile Environmental Sciences Center, University of Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile

    Evelyn Habit & Oscar Parra

  3. School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1041, USA

    Sara Adlerstein

Authors
  1. Steven J. Wright
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  2. Evelyn Habit
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  3. Sara Adlerstein
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  4. Oscar Parra
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  5. Jeremy D. Semrau
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Correspondence to Steven J. Wright.

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Wright, S.J., Habit, E., Adlerstein, S. et al. Graham Scholars Program: sustainability education through an interdisciplinary international case study. Sustain Sci 4, 29–36 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-009-0067-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-009-0067-3

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