GSIPM

When: Tuesday, September 28 – 12:00-1:00 pm

Wednesday, September 29 – 6:00-7:00 pm

Where: MG100

Team Monterey El Salvador Development Practicum is a 3 week J-Term program that takes 16 students to work on community development programs in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador with La Coordinadora-Asociación Mangle, their partner civil society organization in El Salvador.
Applications will be accepted electronically and are accessible here. For more information, please e-mail EquipoMonterey2011@gmail.com.

The Conservation Leadership Practicum (CLP) is an innovative two week certificate course focused on delivering the necessary skills for current and future environmental leaders. Students in the program may be eligible for up to 6 units of credit from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The program’s two weeks are divided into ten key skill areas taught by Monterey Institute professor Jeffrey Langholz and leading local and global conservation practitioners. CLP trainers are qualified professionals in the field from such organizations as Foundations of Success, Pact, Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Big Sur Land Trust.

Cost: $1,800 for non-Monterey Institute participants, with a deposit of $500 due December 1st. $200 for Monterey Institute students, added to spring semester tuition.

When: January 10 through January 21, 2010

Where: Monterey Institute of International Studies

Application deadline: October 31, 2010

For more information, visit: http://www.miis.edu/academics/programs/conservationleadership

Who: All Students
What: Chile J-term Presentation
When: Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 6:15 PM (Please note the date change)
Where: Irvine Auditorium, Reception to Follow

MIIS Professor Jan Black’s 2010 Chile J-term class, in collaboration with Judge Juan Guzman’s Center for Human Rights Studies and Global Majority invite you to: “Incomplete Transition and Indigenous Rights: Chile’s Mapuche Nation.” Through videos and individual and team presentations, students will recount their experiences and findings about the challenges to and defense of Mapuche land and cultural integrity gleaned from interviews, lectures, field trips, and home stays in Mapuche communities.

For more information on this onsite course, please go to: http://sites.miis.edu/chilejterm

Who: All Students
What: Team Monterey 4 Spanish Presentations
When: Thursday, April 22nd, 12 PM -2 PM
Where: Irvine Auditorium

Team Monterey 4 will be presenting in Spanish on Thursday, April 22nd regarding their different development projects realized during their time in El Salvador during January 2010.  Each team member will give a synopsis of his/her project and the different aspects of the project.  The presentations will be interpreted by a Translation & Interpretation team into English.

Come learn about the El Salvador J-term Development Practicum!

Team Monterey El Salvador 2010 is accepting applications from individuals interested in a leadership position for the January 2011 Practicum.  Team Monterey leaders are responsible for program development, fundraising and marketing, communication and outreach, updating and developing website content and social media sites, logistics, recruitment and community engagement, etc.  The deadline to apply is Friday, April 16th.

Ideal Candidates will:

• Speak, write and read Spanish at a 400 level
• Understand the mission and goals of TM El Salvador and El Salvadoran history and culture
• Have strong communication and organizational skills
• Have experience living and working in rural communities of Latin America (or other developing countries)
• Have a lucid understanding of the unpredictable nature of development work
• Be personable, dynamic, patient, flexible and adaptable to changing program and project demands

Further information can be found on the attached announcement flyer and the Team Monterey blog:  http://sites.miis.edu/equipomonterey

If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to EquipoMonterey@gmail.com.

Who: All Students
What: “Lost in the Mist of War” – Sierra Leone Field Notes and Reflections
When: Tuesday, April 6th, 6:15 PM
Where: Irvine Auditorium with reception to follow in the McCone Atrium

This past January, Professor Iyer led 14 students from MIIS and Middlebury to Sierra Leone on a field research practicum.  The team spent two weeks studying the challenges this war-torn country faces in building peace.  Dr. Iyer and the practicum team will present their experiences and research findings.

For further inquiries, please contact Dr. Pushpa Iyer at pushpa.iyer@miis.edu or (831) 647-7104.

Who: Team Monterey in El Salvador
What: A Photographic Exhibition
When: Friday, February 26, 2010, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Pacific Grove Arts Center, 568 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA

Team Monterey El Salvador would like to cordially invite all friends, family, faculty, colleagues, and the entire MIIS community to join us for the opening reception of Team Monterey in El Salvador: a Photographic Exhibition.   The exhibit, kicking off on the evening of February 26th, will display photographs taken by the participants of the Team Monterey J-term Development Practicum in El Salvador.   The images will chronicle three weeks of Team Monterey’s development projects and the communities & people of the Bajo Lempa region.

Entrance is free and open to the public. There will also be complimentary snacks and live music.  For more information, please contact equipomonterey@gmail.com or visit the related blog at http://sites.miis.edu/equipomonterey

All MIIS students may sign up for this course without applying.
Non MIIS Students must apply for the course through the instructor before they can be admitted to the course.

“Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance & Engagement”
A Complex Humanitarian Response Simulation

Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance & Engagement is a large-scale simulation exercise designed to replicate program operations involving non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs), the military (national and international), national and local offices of government, beneficiaries, the corporate sector, and the media. The exercise is directed at mid-level managers engaged in program operations in the field and at headquarters. This simulation will challenge participants’ knowledge and understanding of the complexities of program management during response to natural or manmade disasters.

Practicum Background:

All courses listed below are offered on campus during the January 4^th – 29^th term.

Registration is concurrent with Spring 2010 course registration.

For complete listing,

The Intensive Economics course is now listed in the Spring 2010 course schedule under the heading “Economics Prep.”  To register for the January 2010 Intensive Economics boot camp, students should register for the respective module(s) they need using the normal course registration process, which begins Monday, November 30^th (for May & August 2010 graduates).

No signature is needed to register for this course.  Simply add the appropriate course codes to your registration forms, as noted below and on the Spring 2010 course schedule:

(MICRO) ECPR 8500  A   Economics Preparation

Monday, January 11^th – Friday, January 15^th 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00-4:00pm          Irvine Auditorium

(MACRO) ECPR 8500  B   Economics Preparation

Monday, January 18^th – Friday, January 22^nd 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00-4:00pm*         Irvine Auditorium

*Note:  The afternoon session on Tuesday, Jan 19^th, will take place from 2:00 – 5:00pm.  All other sessions will take place as noted above.

If you only need one section (either Micro or Macro), please make sure you register for the correct section letter, as indicated above.  If you need to take both Micro & Macro, please make sure you register for both sections.

Once you register for the course at the Records Office, you will be given instructions regarding payment at the Cashier’s Office (across the hall from Records).

The microeconomics module will take place Monday, January 11^th thru Friday, January 15^th from 9:00am – 12:00pm & 1:00 – 4:00pm. 

The macroeconomics module will take place Monday, January 18^th thru Friday, January 22^nd from 9:00am – 12:00pm & 1:00 – 4:00pm (yes, this does include MLK Day). 

Dr. Moyara Ruehsen will be the instructor for this course.  More information on the course study guide and reading pack will be made available by the end of the semester. Note: Mankiw book will not be used for this offering.

There is no seat limit for this course, so all interested students will be accomodated.

Challenges to Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone

An evening of fine food, wine, music, and conversation.
A special prix fixe menu, including wine, $40.

5pm on Sunday, December 6, 2009

Bistro 211
211 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel CA

RSVP (831) 625-303

Your contributions will support the Monterey Institute of International Studies students in their field research exploring conflict in Sierra Leone.  MIIS students will be on hand to present their proposed research examining a society recovering from conflict and the challenges to peacebuilding in Sierra Leone.  Upon their return from Sierra Leone, the MIIS students will look forward to sharing their experiences and findings with the Monterey Peninsula community.  For more information, including last year’s Peacebuilding seminar based in Cambodia, please visit http://sites.miis.edu/peacebuilding.

View the flier!  Dinner_Flyer_1

Each course to be 15 hours (1 unit), meeting 9-12 AM Monday-Friday, weeks starting January 4 and January 11.

Biographical Sketch

Richard Wolfson is Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics at Middlebury College, where he also teaches in the Environmental Studies Program.  He is the author of numerous research papers, several video courses for general audiences, and six books—among them Energy Environment and Climate (W.W. Norton) and Nuclear Choices: A Citizen’s Guide to Nuclear Technology (MIT Press).

Introduction to the Science of Climate Change

Anthropogenic climate change is the global environmental issue of the twenty-first century.  Policymakers will increasingly find themselves dealing with climate change, including mitigation of human influence on climate, adaptation to inevitable climate change, and international policy questions relating to this global problem.  Although details of future climate are uncertain, the fact of anthropogenic climate change rests on a firm scientific basis.  This course introduces that science at a level appropriate to students of international environmental policy who do not necessarily bring a scientific background to their studies.  Major topics covered include the energy flows that establish Earth’s climate, the role of humankind in altering climate, what we know from past climates, and how we model climate futures.  The course includes quantitative work, appropriate to students who have had high-school algebra, as well as simple computer-based climate modeling.

The Nuclear Difference: Nuclear Science for Policymakers

Why is it that nuclear weapons have given humankind a totally unprecedented level of destructive potential?  Why is nuclear-weapons technology spreading despite our best efforts to stop it?  What policies can help reduce the threat from nuclear weapons?  The answers lie, fundamentally, in the science of the atomic nucleus.  The “nuclear difference” is the million-fold difference between the energy bound in the nucleus versus that of everyday chemical reactions.  The potential for nuclear proliferation—and our hope of slowing it—lies in subtle properties of the elements uranium and plutonium.  This course introduces basic nuclear science at a level appropriate to students of nonproliferation policy who do not necessarily bring a scientific background to their studies.  After the appropriate background is established, the course will emphasize issues of uranium enrichment and plutonium production, as well as connections between nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

The Graduate School of International Policy & Management (GSIPM) is undertaking two studies that will result in presentations in China during the J-Term:  The Cashmere/Inner Mongolia Sustainable Fibers Project & the CSR Ranking Project. 

The primary contacts for both projects will be Dean Yuwei Shi and Dr. Randy Kritkausky, a Middlebury Research Scholar and President of ECOLOGIA, an NGO which facilitates long-term sustainable development projects.

We expect that the results from both of these studies will be presented by the student teams in China in January 2010.  The projects are unpaid but there may be funds to defray travel expenses to China. Directed Study credit options are available for interested students.  Dr. Yuwei Shi, Dean of GSIPM, will be the instructor of record for any proposed Directed Study.

If you have an interest in participating in one or both of the projects detailed below, send your resume with a cover letter which indicates the project(s) of interest and the reasons for your interest to Nina Dutra, Dean’s Assistant, GSIPM, no later than Friday, November 6th. 

Once your resume has been received, you will be invited to attend a preparatory meeting with Dr. Randy Kritkausky during the week of November 9th – 12th.

Cashmere/Inner Mongolia Sustainable Fibers Project

The above link includes an RFP for the project.  The RFP provides a broad description of the issues. 

For this project, we will narrow the scope to focus on an analysis and comparison of a few scenarios based on production caps and related supply chain and marketing strategies. More specifically, we will build on the substantial data already collected by Professor Kritkausky to construct a profile of the business as it would operate under each product cap.

The variables used to construct the profile may include attributes related to the raw fiber, production methods, supply chain, end-product characteristics, and the marketing characteristics derived from those attributes, such as target markets, distribution channels, promotion, pricing, etc.

Once the profiles are constructed, we will run a comparative analysis to seek optimal profitability under different outlooks about the environment, policy, and industry competition. We expect that the current practice of overproduction, overgrazing and declining quality of product will be determined to be a suboptimal strategy.

CSR Ranking Project (click to view concept paper)

The second project is to rank Chinese companies regarding their sustainability practices.  The concept paper is entitled, “CCRREC Concept Paper and Strategic Plan”.  The first stage of this effort will be to study best practices in selected industries and existing rankings schemes, and then develop criteria for reviewing and ranking Chinese companies in these industries. 

The objective will be to publish the rankings on an ongoing basis so that US companies can identify Chinese companies that employ high quality, sustainable business processes and practices.

The initial phase of the CSR project will include the following tasks:

-Literature review of the cross-cultural, cross-border and cross-industry perspectives and practices on CSR

-Comparative study of major CSR standards currently in place

-Study the China CSR cases written or collected by Ecologia and CEU, with a particular attention to strategic performance of the companies.

-Develop materials and design for a 1-2 day seminar targeting enterprise audiences in China.

About ECOLOGIA

ECOLOGIA (ECOlogists Linked for Organizing Grassroots Initiatives and Action) was founded in 1989 by grassroots environmental activists in order to support grassroots environmental initiatives across the Soviet Union and eastern Europe.  In early 2000, ECOLOGIA moved its US headquarters to Middlebury, Vermont and increasingly shifted its geographic focus from the former Soviet Union and central Europe, to China.  ECOLOGIA maintains a locally staffed affiliate office in Chengu (China) and works with a network of on-the-ground partner organizations on projects with promote long-term sustainable development in China and partner countries.

Many of your have been asking about the JTerm and Spring course schedule and registration dates. Please see below for the timeline:

Friday, November 6th- JTerm and Spring 2010 Schedule Published to Institute Community by Records Office
Monday, November 9th-Friday November 13th GSIPM Seminar Sign Up at GSIPM reception desk bulletin board
Monday, November 23rd- Seminar approval info available at Center for Advising & Career Services
Monday, November 30th- Registration begins, with first day reserved for students graduating in May 2010

Academic Advisors will be contacting students to explain the registration process and to schedule advising appointments as needed.

Applications for both programs are due this Saturday, October 31, 2009.

To apply for the Conservation Leadership Practicum please go to: http://go.miis.edu/clp.

To apply for DPMI please go to: http://go.miis.edu/dpmi.

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE is saving a few seats in the courses listed below for MIIS Students for the 2010 January Winter Term in MIDDLEBURY VERMONT. Each course will count as 3 credits of Graduate Coursework.  These classes will provide a good opportunity for those wanting to develop a better understanding of Global Health Issues.

Contact Information

Please email a brief paragraph on which course you are interested in and why you want to take it, and how it fits into your overall study plan to: nwestrup@miis.edu, by THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th by 1:00 p.m. We have a limited number of spaces so please email me if you are absolutely certain that you can fit the course into your schedule, and that it is relevant to your plan of study.

Course Information

When: Mon January 4, 2010- Fri January 29, 2010.

Where: Middlebury Vermont

Cost: Room & Board covered, the course credits will count towards your MIIS degree, are included within your comprehensive tuition fees.

Additional Cost: You will have to purchase your own airfare.

Who: Students interested in Global Public Health

EPIDEMIOLOGY (SOAN 1017)

In this course, an introduction to epidemiology, we will explore the science of understanding health and disease at the population level. Rather than relying on lectures, students will learn concepts by working in groups on real-world cases where epidemiologic methods must be used to understand and control the spread of disease. We will develop or examine different mathematical models to better understand the spread of disease. (S. Closser

INTRODUCTION TO A PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY (INTD 1094)

While medicine is concerned with the health of individuals, public health is about the well-being of entire communities. In this course we will discuss the philosophical, economic, and political drivers of domestic and international public health policy, as well as gain an introduction to the quantitative tools used in the field. Current events and examples in the media, as well as classic case studies, will provide the basis for discussions and readings. Specific public health topics include immunizations, access to medical care, environmental racism, risk perception, and bioterrorism. Quantitative tools include basic economics principles, decision science, and epidemiology. SOC (P. Berenbaum, a visiting winter term instructor.)

To apply to the Development Project Management Institute January 4-22 visit http:/go.miis.edu/dpmi

To apply to the Conservation Leadership Practicum January 11-22 visit http://go.miis.edu/clp.