Introduction to Disaster Relief and Global Sustainable Development

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to disaster relief and global sustainable development. The course will explore various complex issues (e.g., culture, beliefs, environment, economics, politics, history) and how they influence both global development and the occurrence of, and response to, disasters. Students will examine the state of global development and differentiate between contexts in which disaster relief is required and those in which long-term development is more appropriate. Students will develop a definition of sustainable development, including specific criteria, and examine approaches which have and have not resulted in long-term sustainable development. Applications will primarily focus on the field of engineering. However, development occurs in a very interconnected way which requires an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, the course will also cover topics such as health (community health promotion and healthcare), economics (social entrepreneurship and microfinance), and public policy (human rights and policy advocacy).