Union Mini Term Abroad In New Zealand - Winter Break
The New Zealand Electric Power Development Mini-Term will be offered during next year's Fall break. Under the direction of Prof. Kenney (Economics), the course focuses on the economics, technology, and environmental regulation of hydroelectric, geothermal, hydrocarbon-fueled, and wind power generation in New Zealand and the impacts of the country’s recent electricity market deregulation. There are openings for 8 engineering students and 8 economics students who will work in two-person, interdisciplinary teams to analyze various projects and power schemes.
The country of New Zealand, renowned for its natural beauty, consists of two islands (about 2/3 the landmass of California) located 1000 miles southeast of Australia. On the tour of power generation sites, the group will travel over 2500 miles in two 10-passenger vans. The odyssey begins on the North Island in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, and ends in Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. In between, the students visit national grid and power company control centers and more than a dozen power stations, including two underground hydroelectric plants, a thermal plant that burns both natural gas and coal, and a wind farm with 100 wind turbines on a mountain ridge north of Wellington.
In addition to the power station tours, the students have many opportunities to experience the culture and to explore the many natural wonders of the country. Activities include: visits to several museums; living on a sheep station at the base of Mt Cook (at 12,500 feet, the highest peak in the Southern Alps); hikes through rain forests and active geothermal fields, along endless beaches, and around pristine mountain lakes, glaciers, and volcanoes; and boating through fiords with hanging waterfalls. Students may also have some time for “adrenalin rush” activities such as bungy jumping, jet boating, and white water rafting.
Requirements for the course include: (1) participation in a series of pre-departure seminars during Fall term; (2) maintenance of a detailed journal during the stay in New Zealand; (3) completion and presentation of a substantial project analysis that draws upon both Web- and library-based research and field research in New Zealand. In order to receive Section IV Gen Ed credit, students must have completed Anthropology 10 prior to participation in the mini-term program. Anthropology 10 is offered during the current Spring term (2 sections) and will also be offered in the Fall term.
Anyone interested in viewing the documentation on the course program and itinerary in 2003 (not expected to change significantly in 2004) can obtain guest access to the Blackboard Web site for the course by doing the following. Open Internet Explorer and enter online.union.edu in the location bar. When the Blackboard entry page opens, click on the Login button, then the Preview button, and then on the Courses tab. Enter TAB-133-01 in the Course Search dialog box and click on the Go! button. Clicking on New Zealand Mini-Term Abroad displays a menu of buttons, including Course Information and Course Documents. The Course Information file contains itinerary and lodging information and albums of photographs from previous program experience. The Course Documents file contains lots of folders with course content and an Overnight Stays folder that contains links to additional information about lodging and the places we will be visiting.
An information session will be held Wednesday, March 31 at 12:00 in SS 012. Applications are due in the International Programs office no later than Friday, April 16. Preference in selection will be given to students who have completed Economics 28 (Environmental and Natural Resource Economics), which is being offered during the Spring term (MWF 8:20). Any questions about the arrangements for the mini-term should be directed to Prof. Kenney (Social Sciences 210C, kenneyj@union.edu).