What is Global Environmental Studies?
Our seminar leader Tara Ruttenberg explains what you can expect as a student on the Global Environmental Studies programme in Costa Rica.
The Global Environmental Studies (GES) program combines classroom and field-based learning to explore multidisciplinary themes of sustainable development, environmental governance, conservation and climate change.
Linking lectures and theory with experiential practice in the context of Costa Rica, GES encourages students to develop critical analytical skills while gaining on-the-ground experience in topics related to agriculture and tourism, coastal conservation and renewable energy, indigenous resource stewardship and alternatives to development.
GES students live immersed in the Costa Rican towns of Quepos/Manuel Antonio and San Isidro del General, where they adopt local ways of life and connect course readings, lectures, and field visits to their everyday experiences.
As Seminar Leader for the GES program, I embrace the opportunity to expose students to critical theoretical frameworks for understanding contemporary global environmental issues while also providing unique learning experiences beyond the classroom in Costa Rica’s diverse eco-laboratory.
GES students grapple with complex questions relevant to the social and ecological realities confronting our world today, and gain broader perspectives on proposed solutions to local, regional and global challenges.
