News from the Columbia Climate School

Capstone Travel Journal: Episode 3

March 27, 2012

During spring break, students in the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program (MSSM)’s Integrative Capstone Workshop course traveled to Jordan to meet with representatives from the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence (KACFE). The trip was made possible by the Earth Institute Travel Grant program. Here is the third and final episode in their travel journal. You can also read Episode 1 and Episode 2 on the State of the Planet Blog.

The Capstone Workshop group would like to particularly thank two team members, Anas Khasawneh and Mohammad Al Amoush, for being such wonderful hosts during their trip to Jordan.

The team had its final follow up meetings in the morning with the Ministry of Water and Aramex, a private sector leader in sustainability practices. Aramex provided an insightful look into best sustainable practices in Jordan and in the region- an inspiring example of imbedding sustainability culture within an organization. What a great last meeting to have!

In our final wrap up meeting with the client we were able to present our findings from the interviews and present the ideas for the final deliverables. We look forward to presenting the result of our travels back to the rest of the team back in New York and work hard for the final month of Capstone. We were extremely happy to learn that the client will be coming to New York for the final presentation and realized we have much work to do until then.

Some of the team members were able to enjoy the last weekend of spring break by camping in Little Petra, enjoying the sights and history of Petra with an all day hike, and visiting Wadi Rum.

The travel grant provided the team with an incredible experience of study, research, team bonding, and a unique cultural experience. Our spring break trip allowed us to meet the client and speak first hand with key stakeholders which will only contribute/ enrich our final project. The travel experience was one of academic and cultural enrichment.

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