UMD-Winter: Vietnam: Climate-Resilient Development: Vietnam's Mekong Delta Region (AREC/ENES)

Would you like to experience how climate change is impacting communities in a rapidly-growing developing country and learn about measures which are being taken to adapt to or otherwise cope with the emerging risks? Over recent decades, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region has emerged as one of the world’s most productive agricultural areas, resulting in high levels of trade and major progress in poverty reduction. Yet, this region’s people, economy, and infrastructure are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. You will see what this means on the ground and learn about what people are doing to anticipate and respond to these changes. This course will help students meet their academic course requirements plus satisfy a need for adventure. 

By participating in this program, you will:

• Increase your understanding of the multidimensional impacts of climate change on communities in developing countries and how these impacts are perceived by a wide set of stakeholders;
• Gain an understanding of the principles and various applications of climate resilient development planning, policies and programs in relation to agriculture and other sectors of an economy
• Apply critical thinking skills to discern the factors which are influencing the effectiveness of various climate-smart initiatives being supported by the government and international development partners  

Add These Upcoming Information Sessions to Your Calendar!
Time: Sept 8, 2023 1:00 PM
H.J. Patterson Hall, HVP-1102 

Time: Sep 13, 2023 4:00 PM 
Zoom Meeting: https://umd.zoom.us/j/6435359773?pwd=ZTlLbkdJMTNXU0ZPbHZHK25GV2pHZz09
Meeting ID: 643 535 9773
Passcode: 1sgS7c

Time: Sep 18, 2023 4:30 PM 
Zoom Meeting: https://umd.zoom.us/j/6435359773?pwd=ZTlLbkdJMTNXU0ZPbHZHK25GV2pHZz09
Meeting ID: 643 535 9773
Passcode: 1sgS7c

You must be in good academic and judicial standing and you must not have any registration blocks to participate in this program. The minimum GPA for this program is listed above.

UMD and Non-UMD Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior students are eligible to apply.

If you are interested in this program but do not meet the eligibility requirements, reach out to the Program Leader (listed in the Contacts tab) to discuss your interest in the program.

After you commit to the program, Education Abroad will enroll you in one of the following three (3) credit UMD courses:

• AREC 356: Climate-Resilient Development: Vietnam's Mekong Delta Region

The course is cross-listed as ENES 458 and approved to fulfill the following engineering requirements:

• Computer Engineering: Category F Elective
• Electrical Engineering: GTE: General Technical Elective
• Fire Protection Engineering: Technical Elective
• Mechanical Engineering: TECH4XX out-of-major technical elective

The courses your complete during this program will count as resident credit.

Students will have shared hotel accommodations in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and the provincial cities which will be included on the field trip itinerary.

Costs listed are for winterterm 2024

Please refer to the following resources for funding study abroad:

Financial Aid
Scholarships
Financial Policies

*Please note this program qualifies for eligible Pell Grant recipients to apply for the Gilman International Scholarship. Online applications will open mid-August and close on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 11:59pm PT.'
 

*Non-UMD graduate students will need to pay a $75 application fee to the UMD Graduate School to participate in this program.

PLEASE NOTE: All University of Maryland study abroad programs are financially self-supporting and, therefore, subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.

Steven Jaffee, Program Leader, teaches the course on Global Poverty and Economic Development in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland, he worked for nearly three decades at the World Bank undertaking research and advising on policies and investments in relation to many topics related to agricultural and rural development, trade, and food system modernization. Since 2010, a significant part of this work has related to Vietnam and other countries in emerging Asia. 

Many lectures and field visits will be led by senior faculty at Can Tho University, representing a range of scientific and social science disciplines.

For course, itinerary or in-country information, please contact the Program Leader. For general questions or assistance with applying, contact EA Short-term Programs

As a part of this program, you will engage in the following activities:

• Visit floating and traditional community food markets and sites of cultural significance
• Visit nature reserves and other protected areas and partake in restoration activities
• Engage in discussions with farmers, community groups, and Vietnamese students
• Be guided by practitioners through the varied approaches being used to foster more sustainable natural resources management and livelihoods