MacArthur to Support Master's Programs Around the World Offering Professional Training...

MacArthur to Support Master's Programs Around the World Offering Professional
Training for Future Sustainable Development Leaders

CHICAGO, June 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Supporting rigorous professional
training for future leaders in the field of sustainable development, the John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced today grants totaling $7.6
million to nine universities in seven countries to establish new Master's in
Development Practice (MDP) programs.

The Foundation has committed $15 million to seed the creation of such programs
at up to 15 universities worldwide over the next three years. With MacArthur
support, Columbia University is creating the first MDP Program, which will
launch this fall.

MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond
the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most
development studies. The program's core curriculum combines classroom study
in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering,
management, environmental science, education, and nutrition with field
training experiences.

"Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty,
population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected,
requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions," said Foundation
President Jonathan Fanton. "These new programs are a model for training the
next generation of these critically needed professionals."

A Global Master's in Development Practice Secretariat, supported by MacArthur
and based at Columbia University's Earth Institute, will help manage the MDP
network of universities, develop an open-source repository for the MDP
curriculum and other teaching materials, and will offer an online, Global
Classroom on sustainable development for students worldwide.

The universities that will receive funding to establish the nine MDP programs
are:

-- Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) will emphasize the health and
governance-related aspects of sustainable development through its work
with partners that include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, CARE and the Carter Center.
-- The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India) will
emphasize energy and climate sciences, building on its contributions
to
scientific and policy research in energy, environment, and sustainable
development.
-- James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia) will offer
coursework at its two campuses and field training in the Philippines
and
Indonesia, focusing on the challenges to sustainable development and
governance in tropical island nations in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific.
-- Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)
will integrate their teaching in international development and also
partner with the National University of Rwanda to offer field training
and coursework in conservation and sustainable development.
-- Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) will build on its
English-language
degrees and Master's programs in international development and
public administration to focus on development models for China.
-- University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal) will focus on current
development challenges facing Africa by integrating health, social and
natural sciences, engineering, information technology, and management.

It will also serve as a MDP program hub for French-speaking West
African
nations.
-- University of Botswana (Gaborone, Botswana) will create a modular
program designed for working professionals. Rigorous independent study
will be complemented by two to three weeks of on campus training each
semester. University of Botswana will partner with University of
Florida to offer field training experiences in Botswana.
-- University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) will implement a program
that
includes the core curriculum, building on University of Florida's
expertise in conservation and sustainable development, especially in
Latin America. The program also incorporates faculty and student
exchanges and a field-training program in Botswana, in partnership
with
University of Botswana.

-- University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria) will build on existing graduate
programs in health, science, and natural resources with the long-term
goal of creating a Centre for Development Studies. It will also serve
as a MDP program hub for English-speaking West African nations.

The universities are expected to produce 250 graduates with a Master's in
Development Practice degree by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled.
They were selected based on five criteria, including support from top
university leadership, excellent infrastructure and academic programs, and the
ability to serve as regional hub; geographic representation among students and
exceptional faculty across the four core competencies of the natural, health,
and social sciences and management; and a timeline and business plan for
financial sustainability when funding ends in three years. In 2010, MacArthur
will fund up to five additional universities to create additional MDP
programs.

The creation of the Master's in Development Practice Program was a key
recommendation of the International Commission on Education for Sustainable
Development Practice, whose report was released in October 2008. Established
in 2007, the year-long Commission was co-chaired by John McArthur, Chief
Executive Officer of Millennium Promise, and Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the
Earth Institute at Columbia University, and comprised of 20 top thinkers in
the field of sustainable development from around the world.

The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions
committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition
to the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance
global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand
how technology is changing children and society. More information is
available at www.macfound.org.

SOURCE MacArthur Foundation

Amy Martin, +1-202-745-5118, amartin@gymr.com, for MacArthur Foundation