A Multinational Course on Global Climate Change

Abstract

ultinational course on global climate change was developed by East Carolina University in collaboration with five international universities and the U.S. Department of State. This course was developed to help foster the global conversation needed for developing successful solutions to some of the challenges posed to society by climate change. Using web conferencing technology, students from East Carolina University, Faculdade Jaguariúna in Brazil, Shadong University in China, University of Jammu in India, Universidad Regiomontana in Mexico, and Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia met 2 or 3 times per week in the Global Classroom to learn about climate change science, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and domestic and international climate policy issues. In addition to learning about climate change, students worked in teams composed of members from each country to create locally implementable strategies for climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. Toward this end, students learned and were challenged to apply important cross-cultural negotiation and project building skills necessary to achieve consensus and ensure effective communication and team function. This article presents the course design, including content and the use of technology, as well as a discussion of the challenges and rewards associated with getting people from five countries together in a common pursuit of knowledge and consensus.