Tools for Developing Short-Term Study Abroad Classes for Geography Studies

Abstract

Short-term international field study is an attractive alternative for many students to traditional, longer-term study abroad programs. We present a discussion of critical planning, administrative, and curricular elements related to the development and implementation of such courses. In doing so, we share a number of checklists and planning tools that other instructors may find helpful in the context of developing their own international field studies courses. In addition, we provide representative examples and experiences from two short-term international courses taught by the authors in the Geography Department at Shippensburg University.     

Geography Education Across the Atlantic at the Geographical Association

Abstract

The Geographical Association (GA) is an international association of over 10,000 geography educators headquartered in Sheffield, England. The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) and the GA have similar goals. The GA's annual conferences provide an excellent opportunity to begin geography education partnerships between the NCGE and the GA. Operating exhibits and teaching workshops on geographic information systems at the last three Geographical Association conferences at universities in England afforded the opportunity to network with teachers and pave the way for future collaboration.     

国际河流公平合理利用原则:回顾、反思与消解

公平合理利用原则是国际水法的一项基本原则,它的适用对保护国际河流水资源及协调国际河流水资源利用冲突具有重要的意义。但伴随全球淡水资源日益匮乏,水资源利用冲突频发,公平合理利用原则的局限性也日益凸显。要摆脱公平合理利用原则难以具体运用于实践的困境,一方面需在国际法律文件中对"公平合理利用"进一步界定和完善,另一方面,需结合实际情况缔结国际河流水资源公平合理利用条约并设置相应的配套措施,以保障国际河流水资源公平合理利用原则得以真正实现。     

2007：气候变化年

 从气候变化的角度看,2007年是具有里程碑意义的一年。无论从科学领域的最新研究成果,还是到人们的切身感受,或者到国际社会讨论的焦点问题以及应对气候变化的具体行动,2007年都将当之无愧地成为"气候变化年"。     

从第18届国际生物气象会议看生物气象研究的进展与动向

第18届国际生物气象会议于2008年9月22—26日在日本东京举行。通过简要介绍了这次会议的情况,概括了近年来生物气象研究的进展与动向。从ICB2008各会场的交流内容和讨论可以看出,未来生物气象研究关注的重点问题主要包括以下六个方面:(1)人类生物气象学领域的热浪与健康预警系统、医疗气象、室外工作热环境评价及医疗天气预报研究与应用。(2)城市气候特征与评价及减缓措施研究。(3)气候变化对极端天气、气候事件的影响。(4)气候变化对农业的影响。(5)动物对气象条件和气候变化的响应。(6)污染物跨国输送与国际环境合作研究。加强我国的生物气象研究是应对气候变化影响、以人为本、构建和谐社会的需要,可以为社会可持续发展提供科学依据和咨询建议。     

土地利用规划的实施管理研究

土地规划实施管理的研究是新一轮土地利用规划的亮点,该文通过对规划实施存在问题及实施难的原因分析,对比国内外的土地利用规划,借鉴国外土地利用规划实施管理的理论与实践,最后对我国土地利用规划实施保障措施提出对策建议。在土地利用规划实施管理保障框图的基础上,该文特别就借鉴外国土地规划的理论与实践、基层地方的作用、公众参与和经济措施4个方面提出相关建议。     

气象通信系统发展与展望

气象通信系统是支撑气象业务和大气科学研究的数据收集和传输平台。在经历了从手工到自动,从点对点的数据传输到网络通信和数据广播的发展后,我国气象通信系统已成为由国际气象通信系统、国内气象通信系统组成,覆盖各级气象部门及部门外相关业务和科研用户,具备全球及国内各类观测资料和预报预测产品收集、分发、交换控制及传输监视能力的数据传输平台。作者回顾了气象通信发展历程,分析了气象通信系统的技术和业务现状,对气象通信的未来发展进行了展望。     

试析我国企业跨国经营地域市场战略

制定和实施正确的国际市场战略，是企业从事跨国经营的首要前提和成功的关键。文章首先阐述影响企业跨国经营地域市场选择的主要因素，进而分析世界主要地域市场的特征，最后重点探讨了我国企业跨国经营地域市场战略。     

湖南省国际旅游客源市场开发研究

本文在分析湖南省国际旅游客源市场现状特征的基础上，阐明了该省国际客源市场的发展前景，着重讨论了进一步开发湖南省国际客源市场的对策措施；（1）建立合理的国际客源市场区域经济；（2）加大湖南省旅游资源的开发力度；（3）搞好基础设施建设；（4）加大旅游产品的促销力度，把湖南旅游精品推向全世界。     

Equitable utilisation and effective protection of sharing transboundary water resources:international rivers of western China

Western China includes 12 provincial divisions (the 7 provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and; 5 autonomous regions of Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Guangxi; and one city of Chongqing), which comprise 71.4% of the national land area, 28.5% of the national population and produce 17.5% of the national GDP in China. There are 17 countries that have riparian relationships with western China, most of which are water-short countries. All are listed by UN ESCAP as countries with potential water crisis. The co-operative development and coordinated management of international rivers in western China is an important step toward the implementation of the national Great Western Development program. Taking into account of the national strategy and object hierarchy, as well as the development demand of the western region, it is necessary to pursue the multi-disciplinary study of the equitable allocation, utilisation, and ecoenvironment protection of transboundary water resources in the region. Such efforts will undoubtedly provide scientific evidence and support for the decision-making of the environmental protection and ecological construction and management in the western regions, the enforcement of the sub-regional economic co-operation, mitigation of trans-boundary conflicts, and enhancing bio-diversity conservation.