Ames, Iowa
December 12, 2008
Imagine tailoring your college
career to become an expert in a technical field in a specific
region of the world. That's what students in the
College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences at Iowa State University will do beginning in
August 2009.
"It's an interdisciplinary major that allows students to pick an
international region, language and an area of expertise to
pursue throughout their college career," said Gail Nonnecke,
faculty coordinator of the Global Resource Systems (GRS) major.
David Acker, associate dean of academic and global programs,
said Iowa State is the first university in the nation to offer
an undergraduate program that allows students to combine these
elements into a coherent resource oriented program.
"Solving complex resource problems on a global scale requires a
wide range of knowledge, skills and technical expertise," Acker
said. "This interdisciplinary major gives students the
flexibility to adapt the program to their interests and it lets
them take charge of their education."
Nonnecke, a university professor in horticulture, said the major
will attract students who are interested in addressing the
issues of hunger and poverty in developing nations and students
who want to work for companies with global connections. Students
can choose any region of the world and study issues in both
industrialized and developing nations.
"We are proud of all our programs that provide an international
perspective to students but this one provides a deep
understanding of another culture," Nonnecke said. "It's also a
wonderful opportunity for Iowa businesses who need graduates who
understand the culture, the issues and can speak the language in
a specific region of the world. "
Sam Bird, a freshman from Ames, came to Iowa State specifically
to pursue the GRS major.
"I knew travel was something I wanted in my college experience
and the GRS major offers a variety of study abroad
opportunities," Bird said. "I would like to work for a
non-governmental organization and focus on international
development through economic policy and this experience will
prepare me for that."
Nate Looker, a freshman from Des Moines, plans to study the
ethics and theories of international development and work for an
international organization. He was considering other colleges
with programs in international development before he learned
about the GRS major.
"GRS offers international training and scientific expertise. It
also provides opportunities that will prepare me for graduate
school," Looker said.
The GRS major was approved by the Board of Regents, State of
Iowa in July 2008. Acker said the new major offers an
interdisciplinary and systemic approach to understanding complex
global resource systems. Those systems include natural
resources, agricultural resources (including crops, livestock
and aquaculture), human resources, institutional resources,
physical and biological resources, food and energy resources,
knowledge resources and financial resources.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences began promoting the
new major in November with online ads on The Economist web page;
a print ad is scheduled for the Dec. 20th issue. |
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