Thanks to the NYU Environmental Studies program, Sydney and Washington, D.C., will get a bit greener next fall.
Beginning in the fall of 2012, Environmental Studies students can take courses at NYU's abroad sites in Australia and D.C. This comes after last year's introduction of Environmental Studies courses in Berlin.
"Environmental Studies is a growing area of study at NYU, and it recognizes that there is a particular value to studying in different parts of the world," said Jim Buschman, senior director of NYU External Relations. "Sydney was chosen because Australia offers such unique environmental conditions, and D.C. because of the rich opportunities for learning about U.S. governmental policies on the environment as well as the role played by nongovernmental organizations."
At the Sydney site, students will be able to take Australian Environmental Policy; Journalism & Society: Science, Environment and Politics; and Reading in Contemporary Literature Theory: Eco-Criticism.
Environmental Studies classes offered in Fall 2012 in D.C. will include Environmental History of the U.S. and Journalism & Society: Science, Environment and Politics. Students can also apply for an internship within the government to learn about environmental policy.
Christopher Schlottmann, associate director of the Environmental Studies program, said the academic opportunities in Berlin, Sydney and D.C. have great potential and will likely continue to grow.
CAS senior Steven Rasovsky, an Environmental Studies major, said studying abroad in Berlin shifted his perspective on sustainability.
"Living in a whole new context helped me gain a new lens with which to view the world — one of a global student," Rasovsky said. "I think this is the essence of environmentalism, and more broadly, sustainability."
In Berlin, Rasovsky was able to observe and interact real-life environmental problems like city planning, public transportation and food production. In 2010, Rasovsky and a friend cofounded the NYU Global Greening Initiative, and he worked closely with students and staff to improve recycling at the academic center in Berlin, initiating a green moveout and increase student engagement.
Rasovsky said he used what he learned abroad when he returned to New York.
"Berlin sparked curiosities and really pushed me to break down assumptions I had about what makes a sustainable city," Rasovsky said. "I could then take what I learned and bring it back to New York, where I can contribute a fresh set of thoughts and ideas."
