The Geography of the European Union and the Challenges of Sustainability global education program is the first study away four-credit integrative course to be approved for the Sustainability Theme.
The new undergraduate student general education (G.E.) model, launched in autumn 2022, focuses on foundational courses and thematic pathways that allow students to customize their academic experiences better.
Taking place during May 2023, the Geography of the European Union program content focuses on the broad range of sustainability challenges the European Union faces using the United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals as a unifying theme. Students will study, live and explore the island of Cyprus led by Stavros Constantinou, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Cyprus native.
“I hope that students will gain a richer understanding of the issue of sustainability as it applies to Cyprus and the E.U. as a whole,” Constantinou said. “I also expect students will expand their horizons by recognizing the similarities and differences among people worldwide.”
The structured educational experiences of the program cover a broad range of natural and cultural landscapes of Cyprus and help students synthesize classroom, experiential and intercultural learning. Their travels throughout the island translate classroom learning into lived experience.
“I am honored that my course has been approved and am very excited to lead the first four-credit hour program in the Sustainability theme,” Constantinou said. “In addition to the knowledge that this new course will allow Ohio State students to fulfill the Sustainability requirement, I am eager for the opportunity to share the new content with students on my native island of Cyprus. I am a strong proponent of sustainability and global education and believe this course will showcase both of these themes. I have taken two groups of students to Cyprus in the past, and I know from their reactions that my love of Cyprus and my knowledge of its history and landscape create a very positive learning and study abroad experience.”
To learn more about the Geography of the European Union and the Challenges of Sustainability global education program, visit go.osu.edu/SustainabilityCyprus.