Natural Resources and Peace

Description

This programme directly addresses the key issues of environment, sustainable development and peace, which is one of the fundamental pillars of the UPEACE approach. It provides the “Nuts and bolts” of sustainable development with an emphasis on the local level and on Latin America examples.

The programme aspires to contribute to significant environmental and development issues, such as the prevention the global fresh water crisis, the recognition and empowerment of local and indigenous communities, the enhancement of biodiversity for global life supporting systems, and the identification and mitigation of conflicts that arise from development initiatives, natural resources management and environment issues.

Educational objectives
This programme directly addresses the key issues of environment, sustainable development and peace, which is one of the fundamental pillars of UPEACE approach. The justification for the NR&P programme rests on the interaction between two main premises. On the one hand, peaceful social relations and efficient institutional instruments contribute to the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources and that, on the other hand, the appropriate management of natural resources contributes to human security and peace.

The NR&P programme aspires to contribute to significant environmental and development issues, such as the prevention the global fresh water crisis, the recognition and empowerment of local and indigenous communities, the enhancement of biodiversity for global life supporting systems, and the identification and mitigation of conflicts that arise from development initiatives, natural resources management and environment issues. The four areas are closely related to each other, and it is expected that their integrated treatment will provide decision makers with concrete starting points for peace keeping, conflict prevention and transition towards sustainable development.

Exit profile
This programme equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary for managing environment and development issues in a local and global context. These qualities aid graduates to formulate policies to advance sustainable development at the local, regional and global levels, to facilitate international cooperation in the design of sustainable development and environment policy, and to generate strategies for environmental conflict management. In addition, it is likely that the graduates will have acquired a working command of Spanish, as they will have to involve themselves in field work with local partners.

In addition, we expect the graduates of this programme to:

• Have strengthened their ability and skills to work in teams.
  
• Be fully up to date on development and environmental issues.
  
• Be smart and well informed activists in development/environment matters, in favor of the more vulnerable groups.
• Be promoters of change in their society back home.
  
• Take part in a strong and active network of alumni in the future, under the principles of UPEACE.

Graduates of the NR&P programme are likely to be employed by international and national environmental and development agencies and NGO’s, working in close contact with local organizations, as well as for environmental and policy making institutions. Others are likely to pursue a higher education degree.

Entry profile
Applicants to this program must hold an accredited bachelor's degree or equivalent, and should have substantive social science and natural resources coursework/experience relevant to natural resources and sustainable development. Applicants, who can demonstrate significant previous international and multicultural exposure, will be prioritized. English proficiency is a must, while some proficiency in Spanish is preferable. The candidates must also demonstrate a clear and concrete commitment towards community oriented development work in the natural resources, environmental and development sectors.

Plan of Studies
We expect the students in this programme to:

• Contribute actively to the UPEACE mission.
  
• Integrate themselves in UPEACE's life and student bodies.
• Use the opportunity of being in Costa Rica to understand the sustainability related issues of the country
• Contribute positively and collaboratively with the sustainability of the UPEACE campus.
• Involve themselves in community work and projects, and promote bottom-up approaches.
  
• Share their own knowledge, inputs and critique into the courses.
  

Foundation courses (students have to take a minimum of 6 credits in this category)

Emphasis or specialization courses (students have to take a minimum of 8 credits in this category)

Skills courses (students have to take a minimum of 8 credits in this category)

Elective courses (students have to take a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits in this category)

For the last segment of the programme, the students have to choose between an Independent Study (7 credits) and an Internship (7 credits) of no less than 330 hours.

The course descriptions are available in the ESP Master description  and NRSD Master description

Faculty

Resident faculty

Rolain Borel Head of Department. Doctor of Technical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Jan Breitling Instructor. MSc. Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands.

Ronnie De Camino Professor. Doctor in Natural Resources, Albert Ludwig University, Germany.

Mahmoud El Zain Hamid Assistant Professor. Ph.D. Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands.

David Hoffman Assistant Professor. Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the Department of Anthropology. University of Colorado, Boulder.

Mohit Mukherjee Director of the UPEACE Centre for Executive and Professional Education and a faculty member at UPEACE. MA Harvard Graduate School of Education

Mirian Vilela  Master degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  Executive Director of the Earth Charter Initiative.

Visiting faculty

Liana Babbar  Ph.D. in Natural Resources . Consultant.

Michael Brklacich Ph.D. in Geography. Head and Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies. Carleton University.

Max Castro Ph.D. in Sociology. Associate Director of Research and Studies. Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability

Tom Deligiannis Ph.D. candidate, Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Master’s Degree in History, Focus in International Relations History, University of Toronto.

Carlos Dengo MSc Forest Resources Conservation and Natural Resources Management and Economics. President, Environmental consulting firm: CDG  Environmental Advisors.

Mersie Ejigu M.A. in Economics. Senior Fellow, Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability and president, founder, and chief executive officer of Partnership for African Environmental Sustainability.

Reginald Noble Ph.D. in Ecology. Lecturer in Community Development, Livelihoods, and Food Security. Knowledge Development Centre / Ryerson University.

Jeffrey Stark Director of Research and Studies, Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability.

Peter Stoett Ph.D. International Relations, Comparative Politics of Developing Countires. Chair of the Department of Political Science, Concordia University.