Universitas 21 Summer School 2009 – “Climate Change Adaptation”
Hosted by the University of Queensland
13 – 24 July 2009

The NUS International Relations Office invites applications from NUS undergraduates in their 3rd year and above to participate in the upcoming Universitas 21 Summer School 2009.  Up to six outstanding students will be given the opportunity to represent NUS at the two-week U21 Summer School, which will be hosted by The University of Queensland, Australia, from 13 – 24 July 2009.

This year’s theme will be “Climate Change Adaptation”. 

The big questions about adaptation that will be tackled during the conference include:

Predictions - what are the predicted changes and what knowledge is required?

Impacts – what are the potential impacts and what do these impacts mean for our natural and human systems? What scenarios do we have about the future impacts?

Needs – how do we need to adapt to climate change? What are the risks and what are the opportunities?

Mechanisms - what are the mechanisms for responding and adapting, and how appropriate are they for the scale of the challenges?

Capability - what is our readiness and capability to adapt, from global to local levels?

Participants will gain a broad understanding of climate change issues from various perspectives, through their engagement in a range of practical activities, workshops, dialogue-building sessions, research exercises and field trips.

For more details about the programme, please visit www.uq.edu.au/u21.
There is an AUD$1000 registration fee for each participant, which includes the two-week academic programme, accommodation, most meals, visits and field trips.  (Optional tours to Australia Zoo and SeaWorld are not included.)  This will be paid for by the NUS International Relations Office directly to the host.  In addition, we will provide partial financial support of S$1,000 for each successful applicant, which can be used towards airfare and transportation.  Any other costs incurred will have to be borne by the participants.

Interested students are invited to apply to the NUS International Relations Office by 23 April 2009.

NUS students should use this application form to apply to IRO.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The U21 Summer School is open to full-time NUS undergraduates from any faculty/school and of any nationality may apply. However, students must keep in mind that they will be responsible for meeting all immigration requirements.

Students applying to take part in this U21 Summer School must be in their third year of studies at NUS by May 2009 and will spend at least one more semester here in NUS, upon completion of this summer programme.  Applicants should also have a CAP score of at least 3.0, an excellent command of English and be able to act as effective ambassadors of NUS.

Each student will need to demonstrate a strong sense of cultural awareness as well as deep interest and knowledge in the conference theme.

HOW CAN I APPLY?

Students who wish to attend the summer school must submit the application form, along with the relevant supporting documents, to Ms Susan Tan of the NUS International Relations Office by 23 April 2009.

Please enclose your application in an envelope and attention it to Ms Susan Tan. You may deposit your application at the following locations:

1.  International Relations Office
Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Level 3

2.  Student Services Centre
Yusof Ishak House (Ground Level)

Box labelled “International Relations Office”

MORE QUESTIONS?

For further queries, please contact Ms Susan Tan at irottts@nus.edu.sg.

ABOUT UNIVERSITAS 21

Universitas 21 (U21) is an international network of leading research-intensive universities. Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between member universities and create entrepreneurial opportunities for them on a scale that none would individually, or through traditional bilateral alliances, be able to achieve.

ABOUT U21 SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME

Since 2004, there has been an annual U21 Summer School. Each Summer School has had a global theme and attracted some of the best students from around the U21 network to engage in an exchange of culture, experiences and intellect.

The Summer Schools have been hosted by National University of Singapore, Lund University, Hong Kong University, the University of Virginia and most recently the University of Birmingham. Themes have included: Leadership in a Global Society, Asia as the Global Future, Sustainable Development in a Global Society and Embracing Diversity through Creativity, Culture and Innovation.

The annual Summer School of U21 is a rare opportunity for students and staff from 14 countries to join together to explore a hot topic in depth. The Summer School offers the opportunity for students to work together and draw on the collective experience of academic staff from the U21 network.

Please log on http://www.universitas21.com/summer.html for more details.

ABOUT THE HOST UNIVERSITY: THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s premier learning and research institutions. It is the oldest university in the state of Queensland.

The University is a founding member of the national Group of Eight, an alliance of research-strong “sandstone” universities committed to ensuring that Australia has higher education institutions which are genuinely world class. It belongs also to the global Universitas 21 alliance.

UQ has teaching and research sites throughout Queensland. Its major campuses are at St Lucia, Gatton and Ipswich. The main campus at St Lucia is located seven kilometres from the Brisbane CBD. In 1990, UQ merged with the Queensland Agricultural College at Gatton, 80 kilometres west of Brisbane. In 1999, it opened its third major campus in the major provincial centre of Ipswich, 40 kilometres also to the west. Other UQ locations include teaching hospitals and health centres, veterinary science centres, agricultural science farms, marine research stations, physics research stations, seismograph stations and an underground mine.

Nearly 37,000 students were enrolled at UQ in 2005. UQ continues to attract the vast majority of Queensland’s highest academic achievers and is renowned nationally and internationally for the quality of its teaching and research. In 1998-99, it was named Australia’s University of the Year and it continues to enjoy the highest overall rating for Queensland universities in the annual Good Universities Guide. UQ remains the most successful Australian university in winning and being short-listed for Australian Awards for University Teaching since they were established in 1997. On a variety of measures it is one of the top three or four research universities in Australia.

Seven Faculties administer teaching and research activities: they are the Faculties of Arts; Biological and Chemical Sciences; Business, Economics and Law; Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture; Health Sciences; Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science; and Social and Behavioural Sciences. Teaching is conducted through 33 Schools.
UQ has created a cluster of international research institutes that will keep it at the frontiers of emerging research fields. These institutes are: The Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology; The Sustainable Minerals Institute and The Queensland Brain Institute.

See the University of Queensland’s website (www.uq.edu.au) for more information on the university.