International students bring global perspective to climate policy class
By: Emily Brelage
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: News
In a small room in the basement of East College, professor Kelsey Kauffman's international climate policy class works to understand global climate negotiations one blog post at a time.
Kauffman's students began the DePauw Environmental Policy Project blog at the beginning of the semester and have since been writing about their personal interests and concerns with international climate policy.
But what makes the blog especially unique is its international perspective. Three students from China, one from India and one from Myanmar blog in Mandarin, Hindi and the Burmese language about their interests and concerns in climate policy around the world and in their respective home countries.
Freshman Khin Khin Myat Thu Hlaing said her contribution to the blogosphere has connected her to her family and friends in Myanmar as well as other students who share her concern for climate policy negotiations.
"I mostly blog about my frustration with the process," Myat Thu Hlaing said. "Why are we wasting so much time in negotiations? These setbacks are hindering both developed and undeveloped countries from reaching a solution."
Kauffman said she thinks this diverse collective enhances the learning experience, and shapes a more global point of view.
"We are fortunate to have outstanding students from a wide variety of backgrounds, each of whom has developed expertise in areas that none of the rest of us have," Kauffman said. "Although nations like China, India, Myanmar and the U.S. have sharp disagreements about the climate crisis on the international scene, in our class we enjoy harmony, respect and mutual cooperation."
During the course of the semester, students have been focusing on specific perspectives of global climate change, from analyzing the inadequacy of infrastructure in the least developed countries to the literal drowning of small islands of Tuvalu. By specializing in certain areas and reporting their findings back to the class, the students are preparing for their class trip to the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark this December. A framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 is expected at the conference.
Kauffman's students began the DePauw Environmental Policy Project blog at the beginning of the semester and have since been writing about their personal interests and concerns with international climate policy.
But what makes the blog especially unique is its international perspective. Three students from China, one from India and one from Myanmar blog in Mandarin, Hindi and the Burmese language about their interests and concerns in climate policy around the world and in their respective home countries.
Freshman Khin Khin Myat Thu Hlaing said her contribution to the blogosphere has connected her to her family and friends in Myanmar as well as other students who share her concern for climate policy negotiations.
"I mostly blog about my frustration with the process," Myat Thu Hlaing said. "Why are we wasting so much time in negotiations? These setbacks are hindering both developed and undeveloped countries from reaching a solution."
Kauffman said she thinks this diverse collective enhances the learning experience, and shapes a more global point of view.
"We are fortunate to have outstanding students from a wide variety of backgrounds, each of whom has developed expertise in areas that none of the rest of us have," Kauffman said. "Although nations like China, India, Myanmar and the U.S. have sharp disagreements about the climate crisis on the international scene, in our class we enjoy harmony, respect and mutual cooperation."
During the course of the semester, students have been focusing on specific perspectives of global climate change, from analyzing the inadequacy of infrastructure in the least developed countries to the literal drowning of small islands of Tuvalu. By specializing in certain areas and reporting their findings back to the class, the students are preparing for their class trip to the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark this December. A framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 is expected at the conference.
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