Kalamazoo College: Center for International Programs

Name of Program: Sustainable Development Studies in Thailand

Location: Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sponsoring Institutions: Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University and Kalamazoo College

Tentative Dates: Long-Term Program: Late August to Early February

Language of Instruction: English

Eligibility Requirements:
Class: Junior or senior standing at the time of participation. Preference is given to students with demonstrated interest in development studies. Coursework in Social Science and experience in service learning projects such as Habitat for Humanity strongly recommended.

GPA: 2.7 overall

Language: English

Application Deadline: February 1

Academics
The Environment and Development program is an academically challenging experiential learning program focused on understanding the relationship between ecology, human communities and development. A core part of the program revolves around a series of field-based expeditions courses—intensive 3-4 week courses focused on a single topic. Academic content is integrated with off-campus studies of the issues, learning in the context being studied. Remote travel by foot and difficult living conditions are a necessary part of the expedition field courses. Students should be prepared to carry their own equipment over challenging terrain for days at a time.

During the September to December semester the program consists of Thai language and culture and a series of four (4) expedition field courses of 3-4 weeks each. These courses integrate Thai language and culture learning. All courses, except the Thai language course, are taught in English.

Thai Language and Culture (two K-Units): A semester long course running concurrently with the other courses. This course focuses on acquiring both spoken and written Thai, as well as acquiring a working understanding of Thai culture and norms.

Expedition field courses will include four (4) of the following. Not all courses are offered each semester.

Ethnic minorities and natural resource management of SE Asia (one K-Unit): This course focuses on the political ecology of upland Southeast Asia, understanding the pressures facing indigenous tribal people. The course will spend time traveling on foot through the rugged mountains of Northern Thailand, living and working with ethnic minority people.

Agroecology and sustainable agriculture (one K-Unit): The study of the social, political and economic systems surrounding sustainable food production will be grounded in the day-to-day life of living and working on an integrated organic farm. Students will live with farming families and learn about the therory and practice of agroecology and sustainability.

Watershed ecology and the role of rivers in Southeast Asia (one K-Unit): The classroom for this course will be the extended watershed of one of Thailand's major rivers. We will start in the upper watershed, travelling by foot, then switching to travel on the river conducting an ecological and socioeconomic transect of the watershed.

Urban sustainability and ecological economics in Asia (one K-Unit): This course will look at urban Southeast Asia, focusing on Chiang Mai city andn Bangkok. Using the framework of 'ecological footprints' this course will examine the cononmic and environmental impact of cities, indicators of sustainability, and other related topics.

Southeast Asian costal ecology and cultures (one K-Unit): The interface between land and sea is both culturally and environmentally rich. This course examines the complex interplay betwen the coastal environment of mangroves and the local cultures that depend on them for their survival.

Each student conducts an Integrative Cultural Research Project (ICRP) for one K unit of credit. Participants are placed in internships with NGOs in the greater Chiang Mai area. The ICRP activities are developed under the supervision of program staff and supplemented with field research and written material as appropriate. The internship will result in a major paper (10-15 pages) which must be turned in to the Resident Director before the end of the academic program or no credit will be awarded.

Credits & Grades
Long-term participants must enroll in the equivalent of 6 K units of credit. One K unit equals 5-quarter hours or 3.33 semester hours. In order to be counted as one K-Unit of credit, a course must have 40-45 contact hours.

Students must earn the equivalent of a "C" in the local grading system to receive credit for course work. Grades from all study abroad courses are recorded on an official Kalamazoo College transcript and expressed as "K units of credit". The transcript lists the titles of courses, the appropriate disciplines and the translation of the local grades into the Kalamazoo "A, B, C" grading system. Along with the transcript, the registrar at the home institution of each participant will receive instructions for converting K units to the home institution's credit system.

Housing
The program will begin with a homestay with a Thai family in Chiang Mai. Homestay families will included both ethnic Thai (rural and urban) and tribal families. The homestay is an excellent opportunity for students to gain unique insights into Thai and tribal culture. Following the homestay, students will be housed in private student dorms and/or apartments near the University.

Location
The city of Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand, a region of tremendous contrasts with remote upland tribal villages, lowland rice farming villages, a small, but international city and a mosaic of languages and cultures. Chiang Mai is within an hour (by air) of Bangkok, China, Laos, and Burma, opening up the possibility of comparative regional studies.

Program Fee:

Long Term Program: $22,646

Program fees include tuition and fees, food and housing while classes are in session, round-trip international airfare from the designated point of departure, and some excursions. Program fees do not include medical expenses, the required medical evacuation insurance, books, personal spending, money, food, or housing during vacations periods or after classes have ended, and independent travel.

This document contains the most accurate information available at the time of publication. Statements contained herein are not contractual obligations, and verbal or other representations that are inconsistent with or not contained within the Academic Catalogue's offerings or policies are not binding. Kalamazoo College and the Center for International Programs each reserves the right to cancel, suspend or change, without specific notice, programs, offerings, policies, procedures, qualifications, fees, and other conditions.

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