GSVS 3559: Booms and Busts

May 20 - June 15 | 9 am - 12 pm
Laura Goldblatt

GSVS 3110: Sustainable Communities

May 22 - June 2 | 10 am - 3 pm
Tessa Farmer

This course is offered every year as part of the Morven Summer Institute (see link here: https://morven-virginia.squarespace.com/msi-courses); this is a 10 day course running from 5/22 - 6/2. *Cross listed with ANTH 3490

GSVS 4100: Evidence for (Sustainability) Policy

May 20 - June 15 | 9 am - 11:30 am
Spencer Philips

UVA in Greece: Odyssey in the Anthropocene

Inspired by Homeric poems and Odysseus’ travels, as well as current sustainability challenges in the Aegean, this experiential learning and sailing program introduces students to both past and present ways of life in Athens, the Saronic and Argolic Gulf islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Dhokos, and the Peloponnese peninsula. Greece offers unique environmental and cultural resources to support student learning about changing human-environmental relations, culture, and settlement patterns from antiquity to the Anthropocene. 

In the process of passing one of the EU’s most ambitious climate laws, Greece plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030 and intends to be fully net zero by 2050. Ten types of single-use plastic products were banned in 2021, 12% of electricity demand is generated by wind turbines and 7% by solar, and sustainable water initiatives are underway. Greening its’ 200 inhabited islands will create Europe’s largest network of sustainable off-grid communities. While most current development consumes vast amounts of water and energy, traditional Greek settlements and buildings were simply, effectively, and beautifully designed for their specific climate and provide important sustainability lessons.  

In ancient Greece important settlements were connected by water. The ocean was a divinity and source of all seas, rivers, and streams. From it rose the sun and dawn, the constellations, and in it they set. Students will experience the Greek islands more akin to how Odysseus saw them—from the sea in sailing vessels. For two weeks we will live aboard 45 to 50 foot monohull yachts and sail with highly experienced, professional Greek skippers from Poros-based Greek Sails and Profs. Crisman and Petrus, who also skipper yachts in Greece. Sailing offers a sustainable way to travel by harnessing wind energy, while managing limited water supplies, wind and solar energy, and waste reduction strategies. Lectures, reading discussions, research reports, visits to significant sites, and cultural exchanges with Greek locals will provide opportunities for students to gain valuable knowledge and experiences. Daily academic field journal entries will require students to reflect on their learning. 

Application deadline: February 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Lithuania: Sustainable Urban Design Challenges

UVA in Lithuania: Sustainable Urban Design Challenges offers students of all majors and backgrounds the opportunity to work on real-world requests for sustainability interventions in a UNESCO World Heritage city in Northern Europe.
 
Students will spend three weeks in Vilnius, Lithuania working alongside students at the elite Vilnius Technical University (VT) campus. City officials, VT faculty, and business representatives will share their expertise with us as we work on projects for the city related to waste governance and recycling, smart interventions in mobility, green public spaces, and renewable energy and efficiency.
 
The primary teaching tool for this program will be a practicum focusing on an actual problem experienced by an industry client tor city agency. Understanding sustainability requires engagement across multiple disciplines. Our focus is on developing skills for investigating the combined social, technical, historical, cultural, and political aspects of enacting sustainability in practice.  These skills will be targeted at real world challenges that requiring dynamic systems thinking coupled to client focused design strategies.

Faculty will supervise student progress, offer their expertise in guided workshops, and help students and their teams to overcome any obstacles they might face. Site visits to various industries, labs and other facilities in Vilnius will enrich our understanding of the complex context and culture of these cities.

Application deadline: March 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Mexico City: Contemporary Culture, Development, and Migration in Ancient Aztec Captial

In this course, we will trace Mexico City's history from its roots as a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural Aztec capital to its present-day status as once of the world's great global metropoles. Moving from Aztec archaeological sites, to well-repserved colonial neighborhoods, to contemporary museusm and art galleries, students will learn about the city's past and present through a series of hands-on cultural expereinces. We will particularly focus on how migration and economic development have been closely intertwined in Mexico City for  the past 500 years, from trade between the Old World and the New beginning in the 16th century, to the internal migration that led to the capital's hyper-urban transformation in the 20th century, and how this cultural and economic exchange has positioned contemporary Mexico City to become a central global hub of artistic and creative industries like film, fashion, and architectural design. Along the way, we will meet with a number of scholars, writers, and artists whose work lies at the intersection of migration and global development. 

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in St. Kitts and Nevis: Public Health Sciences

The goal of  St. Kitts and Nevis program is to further explore and assess the potential implications as a result of Covid on child health in the west indies. The previous work explored child asthma as it relates to the cultural nuances and challenges faced in a country whose economy is tourism based. The impact of covid has not been assessed and the ministry of health is still interested in maintaining its UVA ties to explore the needs and research needed to invest strategic planning policies around child health since 2019.

Participants will learn and apply a fundamental knowledge of social, political and economic determinants of child health as they explore the existing covid induced challenges children now face in St. Kitts and Nevis. Included in class discussions and site-visits will be health care infrastructures and available educational materials in St. Kitts and Nevis. Culturally respectful engagement will be emphasized in the assessment of existing resources; collaboration with in-region partners and development of community-based health education materials sensitive to the indigenous priorities of the ministry of health and people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....

UVA in Vietnam: Hanoi's Hong River: Development, Climate, and Rights to the City

Study in Hanoi this summer 2024 with Vietnamese students and local experts. We will be exploring and developing applied, action-oriented research related to plans to redevelop a 40-km stretch of the Hong (or Red) River running through the capital city of Hanoi.

Multidisciplinary teams will tackle issues related to the ecology, social and political dynamics, the economy, and even the geopolitics of this complex system. We are looking for students with diverse interests, backgrounds, and skills from across the University. Virginia students will join with counterparts from Vietnam National University for a truly cross-cultural learning experience. Together, we’ll learn and use GIS, systems modeling, and other quantitative and qualitative research methods. Instructors include UVA and VNU professors, and local practitioners (architects, NGO leaders, and community development experts).

Application deadline: March 15, 2024

For more information: https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs....