2009 Watson International Scholars of the Environment
1 September - 18 December
Opportunity for African Environmental Leaders to Examine Land-Use History, Science, and Policy
The Watson International Scholars of the Environment program brings mid-career environmental leaders from universities, governments, and nongovernmental organizations throughout Africa to Brown University for advanced training in land-change history, sciences, and policies, providing them with the context to enhance the sustainable development capacity in their countries. The opportunity offers an intensive program in sustainable land-use studies to provide mastery of critical concepts, relevant tools, and transferable processes necessary for managing land and ecosystems. Supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) , the program offers scholars time away from their daily responsibilities to learn new skills with a community of scholars applying both theoretical and practice approaches to real world environmental issues.
Full time for three and a half months, participants are involved in courses, workshops, field trips, symposia, mentorship, professional networking, and research projects. The Watson International Scholars of the Environment are active participants, not passive students. All participants will take part in a foundational seminar on African environmental history. Module units focus on land-use science and policy. Drawing on the resources of Brown University, participants will prepare a study on land-use change and policy responses. Participants will integrate data from across disciplines and discuss how their research can inform sound decision-making.
Investment in these leaders is strategic: participants are men and women capable of creating lasting and immediately favorable impacts on the sustainable development of their home institutions, eco-regions, and nations. Accordingly, participants are expected to be at a mid-point within their careers in environmental management, science, and policy fields. The program seeks individuals who want to forge new linkages among ideas and issues, to develop networks among leaders facing similar land-use issues, and to explore alliances with relevant colleagues and institutions for improved personal and institutional effectiveness.
Brown's high-quality facilities are fully available to the Watson Scholars, including a 3-million-volume library, comfortable offices, and computing in the Watson Institute for International Studie s , and state-of-the-art environmental laboratories and classrooms. This strategically designed curriculum and its eminent institutional setting provide the Watson International Scholars of the Environment with essential tools for enhancing sustainable development capacity in their countries.
At the completion of the program, each graduate receives certification from the United Nations Environment Programme ; Brown University is one of only three institutions worldwide approved by UNEP to offer such postgraduate semesters.
Forging Bold New Collaborations
Effective collaboration is key to the program's success. Major grants from the Henry Luce Foundation from 2001-2009 have enabled design implementation and refinement of the curriculum and its network-building. The Foundation supports Brown University undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty in pursuing important environmental management initiatives in collaboration with the Watson Scholars and their developing nations. In addition to the Watson Institute, relevant centers on campus include the departments of Sociology, History, Geological Sciences, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; the Center for Environmental Studies; the Population Studies Training Program; and the International Health Institute. Finally, the program has expanded its liaison with key environmental organizations throughout the world. Chief among these is its collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which provides UN certification for each participant successfully completing the curriculum. To date, 40 countries are represented in the 57 graduates of the program (2001-2008): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Samoa, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Newest Posts
Older Posts
Home
0 feedback :