This summer, CERC is excited to offer undergraduate students of all majors the opportunity to study conservation and environmental sustainability at our new field site in Jordan. The program runs between May 20 and June 18 2012 and is worth six transferable undergraduate credits.
In partnership with Columbia’s Global Center in Amman, the Columbia University Middle East Research Center, students work alongside scientists from Jordanian universities to study issues such as desertification, biodiversity conservation, overgrazing, and limited natural freshwater resources.
Introductory course lectures are to be held in Jordan’s capital Amman. Students then travel south to the coastal southern region of Aqaba, to study coral reef and marine ecology at the Red Sea Marine Science Center. Students also obtain a comprehensive look at Jordan’s biodiversity through a week-long stay at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s reserves in the desert region of Dana and the Wadi Mujib canyon (part of the lowest nature reserve in the world, bordering the Dead Sea).
Student activities throughout the 5-week course include an individual project on any topic of the student’s choice, a field practical designed to improve group research skills in a natural setting, and a journal or electronic blog on day-to-day activities.
No prerequisites or previous knowledge of science is necessary in order to enroll in the Jordan SEE-U course. Students of all majors can apply. Funding through fellowships is available for up to $3000 for interested students.
To learn more about SEE-U Jordan and other SEE-U courses available this summer, visit our website or contact CERC directly at cerc@columbia.edu or 212-854-0149.
