Fiji: Summer Short Session

Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment

Fiji I (June 3 - June 10, 2010 in-country), $1050 or Fiji II (June 10 - June 17, 2010 in-country), $1050

3 Credits (no pre-requisites)

Overview

This is an educational study tour of the highland jungle, coastline, islands, reefs, and villages of Viti Levu, Fiji, exploring human aspects of natural systems and their conservation and management through field, class, and travel experiences. It is a field studies course in natural resources and conservation during Short Summer Sessions and offers 3 credits with no pre-requisites. Both sections are identical in course content and cost.

This program is open to all students, but is specifically designed to fit with our Maymester in Australia and New Zealand programs. The Fiji II session is similarly designed to fit with our Sydney program. Fiji is an easy and often free stopover traveling on a ticket to or from the U.S. and the Fiji I program begins as soon as the Maymester programs conclude and the Fiji II program begins as soon as the Sydney program concludes.

Credits & Costs

3 credits, no pre-requisites or co-requisites for ALL MAJORS

Credit is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels in one or more of the following disciplines:

Anthropology (ANTH) 4271/6271
Ecology (ECOL) 4271/6271
Forestry (FORS) 4271/6271
Geography (GEOG) 4271/6271
International Affairs (INTL) 4271/6271
Recreation & Leisure Studies (RLST) 4271/6271

4271 courses are for undergraduate students and fulfill 3000+ level elective requirements for UGA students.
6271 courses are for graduates and honors students.

Students attend lectures and participate in field studies that take an interdisciplinary perspective.

Program cost includes all accommodation, excursions, cultural events, insurance, ground and sea transportation, and most meals. Tuition (HOPE applies and out-of-state students pay in-state tuition) and international airfare (group rate available) are additional.

Description

The Fiji course shares a thematic focus with the Maymester courses on environments and conservation, but in Fiji there will be more emphasis on how culture and long-term history play into this. Examples of things we look at in this way are indigenous ethno-botany and medicinal plant use, traditional maritime and navigational knowledge, and prehistoric archeology, as well as contemporary issues related to eco-tourism, biodiversity, and indigenous intellectual property and other rights that impact conservation and natural resource management.

Fiji is an exotic, beautiful, and fascinating country with unique cultural traditions. The plan is that our stay will begin in diverse capital city of Suva, where we will spend 2.5 days exploring the anthropology and ecology of Fiji through lectures and local field-trips in collaboration with University of the South Pacific, which is based there. Next is a trip to the beautiful south coastline early beach archeological sites and hill forts. Then it is off to the lush jungle highlands of Viti Levu to visit eco-tourism projects and learn about how Fijians are balancing concerns of tradition and demands of modern life relation to their special knowledge and island ecologies and to hike in the jungle. We will then travel by boat and/or sail to Fiji's beautiful offshore islands in the Yasawa chain for 3 days where we can learn first hand about traditional Fijian village small island life, traditions, subsistence and maritime knowledge, and also explore reef ecology.

During our time in Fiji there will also be opportunities for such other activities as hiking, bird watching, snorkeling, and bamboo rafting or kayaking, and also to spend time in Fijian villages and participate in traditional Fijian celebrations with food and dancing.

The program is suitable for students from a wide variety of backgrounds, and no prior resource conservation knowledge is assumed. In previous years, students from institutions across Georgia and elsewhere (and from diverse departments including Journalism, Business, Communications, Management, History, Latin, and Animal Science as well as Forestry and Anthropology) have participated and succeeded in the program.

Application Details