Summer course in Panama

Conservation through Research Education and Action (CREA) a registered educational not for profit organisation, in collaboration with Florida Stat= e University, wishes to announce a five week summer course in 2005 from June 6th to July 8th, on "Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development", held in the Republic of Panama.
Background=20
CREA, in collaboration with FSU, has created a program in =B3Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development=B2 aptly held in Panama, a country which has recently seen one of the highest rate of development in Latin America yet suffers from one of the world=B9s highest rates of tropical deforestation and financial inequality among its citizens. This program is intended to provide students with exposure to the multidisciplinary problem= s and solutions in the area of conservation and development, and offers the opportunity to combine interdisciplinary course work with field experience and independent research.
Course Description=20
The program offers 6 university credits from Florida State University.
We shall examine the conservation and related social problems faced by Panama as an exemplar of Latin America, together with proximate and ultimat= e reasons for biological resource depletion. We shall analyze major environmental topics, such as deforestation, pollution and overfishing usin= g problem solving tools. We will cover social, political and economic issues of the developing world and international efforts to address them. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the nature of social development especially in the context of environmental conservation. In addition, students will study conceptual issues underlying current conservation programs, and learn how to ask and answer research questions. Overall it will be a formative learning experience that will help students appreciate the complexity of globally important issues and the necessity of environmental protection for future world needs.
Major topics include :
* Defining sustainability
* Panama=B9s natural history
* Principles of Conservation Science
* Conflicts between conservation and development
* Natural resources and their (sustainable) use
* The management of endangered species and ecosystems
* Environmental economics
* Politics, policies, institutions and sustainability
* Poverty and its consequences
* International goals for human development
* Individual or group project
Field visits to ecologically and socially pertinent areas and ecological /social fieldwork are core aspects of the course.
Application procedure and further details:
Please contact admin@crea-panama.org to ask for application documentation. Further information can be obtained by contacting CREA by email or by reviewing information held on the web page: <http://www.crea-panama.org/sustdevel.htm>

Background to CREA:
CREA is a not for profit environmental organization, dedicated to the building of ecologically literate societies. Its Center for Environmental Studies has been offering study abroad courses for undergraduates since 2002.=20


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Michael S. Roy (PhD)
CREA
PO Box 2704 Balboa,
Ancon, Panama City
Panama
email: michael@crea-panama.org
www: http://www.crea-panama.org
ph: +507-317-6635