University of Kansas
AC-5: Immersive Experience

1. The Freiburg, Germany Study Abroad program is offered once every other summer, and was last offered in in the summer of 2014. Students reside in Freiburg, Germany, over the course of four weeks, experiencing examples of sustainable policies first hand, and visiting sites such as Solarfabrik, a zero-emission solar energy factory, and the European Parliament. As part of the curriculum, students enroll in two courses, EVRN 550- Environmental Economics: Research Methods and Analytical Approaches and EVRN 420/720- Environmental Sustainability in Europe's Green Communities. 2. The KU Environmental Studies Department also offers a summer study abroad experience in Karnataka, India, last offered in summer 2013. Most of the travel takes place around the city of Bangalore and Mysore and in the ecosystems of the Western Ghats. There are many excellent research and conservation non-governmental organizations in that region. The Western Ghats offers numerous ecosytem types from high altitude grasslands interspersed with dense evergreen forest patches called shola, to moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests. Also the students are able to learn more about: how forest dwelling populations live a subsistence life in these forests; human-wildlife conflict; and sustainable harvest of forest products. The Western Ghats (mountains) are brimming with large wild animals such as elephants, wild dogs, gaur, tigers, leopards, several deer species and students get the opportunity to see several species while visiting protected areas. Courses offered during the India experience include EVRN 460/EVRN 720 – Field Ecology and EVRN 420/EVRN 720 – Environmental Issues of India. 3. Students may also pursue a spring study at Trier University of Applied Sciences in Trier Germany. FH Trier offers a wide range of courses of study in technology, business, law, design and computer science, while the Environmental Campus of the FH Trier concentrates on topics related to environmental issues. KU students can also participate in a new program on their Environmental Campus concentrating on topics related to environmental issues such as: Biotechnology, Environmental and Process Engineering, Engineering Physics, Environmental and Business Economics, Environmental Engineering/Environmental Planning, and Economic and Environmental Law.

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