Developing an Environmental Studies Programme at Sherubtse College
( Project BT0014)
herubtse College, Bhutan's premier institute of higher education, offers degrees in science, the arts and commerce. Currently affiliated with the University of Delhi, Sherubtse College is working to establish itself as an independent university.
Since 1990, WWF has been helping Sherubtse College to develop an environmental studies programme through curriculum development and institutional support. In 1993, a WWF-sponsored lecturer from the Yale School of Forestry was seconded to Sherubtse to assist in the development of preliminary courses, in coordination with colleagues at Yale and regional universities and other Royal Government of Bhutan institutions. In July 1994, the environmental studies programme was implemented with assistance from various departments -- Botany/Zoology, Geography, Chemistry, Economics and Computer Science. The programme is currently offered as a subsidiary in three parts to undergraduate students in the arts and social sciences, and has become the college's most popular subsidiary course.
A week-long workshop was convened at Sherubtse College in November 1994 to review the direction of the programme and recommend long-term guidelines for further growth. The workshop was attended by experts from Yale University, Thailand's Kasetsart University, and the University of Delhi, Royal Government of Bhutan representatives from forestry, agriculture and education, Sherubtse faculty, and WWF staff. The technical discussions resulted in a concrete long-term strategy for environmental studies in Bhutan, and a proposal for developing an undergraduate degree programme in natural resources management and environmental studies was presented to the government for endorsement. Field and computer equipment, a fax machine, and library resources have been procured and installed at Sherubtse.
In 1995, Sherubtse College was awarded the 18th J Paul Getty Conservation Prize for its innovative and timely conservation initiatives.
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