Universitas 21 Summer School
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, and University of Virginia. Themes have included: Leadership in a Global Society, Asia as the Global Future and Sustainable Development in a Global Society.
In 2008, the Summer School was hosted by the University of Birmingham and the University of Melbourne sent five delegates to explore the theme of 'Embracing Diversity through Creativity, Culture and Innovation'.
2009 U21 Summer School
Theme: Climate Change Adaptation
Dates: 13 - 24 July 2009
Venue: The University of Queensland
The theme of this year's Summer School is Climate Change Adaptation, a theme which unites people all over the world as we strive to answer a plethora of associated challenges, and it calls for the ingenuity and collaborative spirit of researchers and scholars to come to the fore.
Potential impacts on natural and human systems include temperature changes, precipitation changes, severe weather events and sea level rise associated with thermal expansion and de-glaciation. These issues will tax our scientists, governments, communities and businesses to unprecedented levels.
The big questions to be addressed about adaptation are:
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?
Integral to any consideration of adaptation is the imperative that we design and implement a low-carbon economy globally at the same time as we deal with the predicted changes to our climate such as heating, drying and sea level rise.
The focus of the program will be on the science and social science of the predicated effects of climate change. Climate impacts and responses will then be explored through a number of themes, including water resources, biodiversity, marine and coastal environment, settlements and infrastructure, land and food, energy, and social and economic consequences.
Seven high achieving students and two academics were selected to attend the Summer School in 2009. The group represented a spread of disciplines across the university and were thus able to contribute to the School in varied ways.
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