The planned program is a three week traveling seminar set in the East African country of Uganda. The focus will be sustainable international development. Three main topics, which parallel our conceptualization of sustainability, will be explored: (1) social equity (including the problem of HIV/AIDs, human rights, gender, education, and governance); (2) environmental sustainability (including the challenges of natural resource/wildlife conservation) and (3) sustainable economy (specifically a focus on fisheries management, agricultural development, and tourism). Students and faculty will arrive in Entebbe on Saturday, June 19. They will then travel to Jinja via Kampala, return to Kampala, and then make a loop through southwestern Uganda before returning to Portland.
As part of the study program, students will: observe a variety of sustainable development projects; attend lectures by NGO staff and government representatives; interview government representatives, directors and staff of NGOs; visit a U.N. Millennium Development village; and host informal lunch and dinner conversations with local residents and stakeholders. A portion of each day will be reserved for student and faculty conversation and reflection on the day’s activities. Students will keep a personal reflection journal; a field notebook to record observations, interviews, and lecture notes; and collect photographs to document their observations. Students will write three documents: a group paper on “Best Practices in International Sustainable Development;” an individual synthesis paper integrating prior learning and the field experience; and a reflection paper on their learning and personal experiences.
Whenever possible, students will stay with local families in an attempt to deepen cultural awareness and offer students the broadest possible opportunities for engaging Ugandans rather than observing their lives through the lens of NGOs or as “academic tourists.” During the three-week seminar students will experience cultural events and recreational opportunities.
To learn more, visit the PSU Education Abroad website on this program.
