Information Session: Thursday, October 4 th at 12:30pm Maxwell-Dworkin G135 2019 J-term Experience in the Peruvian Amazon and Highlands Solving Global Challenges through Innovation Agriculture, an Alternative to Prevent Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest Program Dates: 2019 Sunday January 7 - Saturday January 19 Led by Professor Joost Vlassak / Professor Carlos Ríos
Founded by Eduardo Hochschild 2011 Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Chemical, Environmental, Bio, Energy, Civil, CS
MOTIVATION for COURSE 21 st Century Engineering Global Citizenship – The SEAS-UTEC Ethos Solving Global Challenges through Innovation Agriculture, an Alternative to Prevent Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation The Importance of the Amazon, Its Rivers & Rainforest • Resource rich ( large biodiversity) Madre de Dios is known as the Peruvian Capital of Biodiversity Madre de Dios alone has 2400+ species of plants, hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and fish 1 Lima Madre de Dios • Major water and food source for Cusco Amazon Basin Amazon Biome local communities (1) https://cinciaperu.maps.arcgis.com
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation The Illegal Gold Mining Route Record Gold Price Chart High: 1800$ /oz Madre de Dios Region Current Illegal Gold Mining prices are Camps still highly profitable Cusco After the ‘08 Financial Puno PERU Crisis, Gold Prices skyrocketed, triggering a Gold counterfeiting modern-age Gold Rush across the border in the peruvian Jungle. Google Maps
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation The Challenge “ Illegal & Informal Gold Mining is the most lucrative illicit activity in Peru, surpassing cocaine production in recent years ” USAID, 2016
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Our Approach: SNAP (Soil Nutrient Analysis Project) Developing agriculture to make it more a more attractive economic activity and to stop miners migrating from Cusco and Puno
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation The Course in a Nutshell • 2019 marks the 6 th year for this program • Harvard students work with counterparts at UTEC, Peru • January (SA Summer) – Harvard students go to Peru • in Lima (at UTEC), Cusco, and the Peruvian Amazon • June - 2 Harvard students from the J-term 2019 group will be selected to go to Peru for two months. • August (NA Summer) – UTEC students come to Harvard, SEAS • Led by faculty at SEAS and UTEC • 2019: Prof. Joost Vlassak (SEAS) & Prof. Carlos Rios (UTEC) • Students strongly encouraged to leverage January activities into project with faculty, including for junior or senior thesis
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Program Activities in Broad Stroke STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5 Field Experience Analysis Developing Context Analysis Adv. Techniques Pre-Peru Departure Field Trip in the Back at UTEC Summer at Summer at SEAS Reading and First Day Amazon and Cusco UTEC and Labs at UTEC Field Trip Readings and videos in Talks from area Identify Problems and Harvard and UTEC students gold mining in Madre researchers and a Limitations UTEC students revisit analysis farmers´ and miners’ de Dios and agriculture revisit and techniques with in Madre de Dios and points of view. Propose and present implement state-of-the art Cusco Improvements proposed equipment in Field Work – Background talks on solutions to faculty and CNS mining, migration, and improve SNAP labs related social conflicts given by local experts, NGOs and scientist
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Course Location in Peru IIAP Facilities Reforestation and Puerto Agriculture site (CINCIA) Maldonado Mazuco Ollantaytambo Mazuco Cusco Urcos
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Field Activities: Using the Amazon and Cusco as Laboratory and Classroom
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Field Activities: Review, Discuss, and Reformulate/Optimize Feedback Optimize from faculty solution and experts (Re-)Frame problem
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Field Activities: It will not be all work
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation SNAP Participation Expectation • Required Commitment of Participants: o Pre-departure information session (via video session) o Pre-reading and project development with UTEC students o Full participation in two week activities abroad • Financial Expectations : o SEAS/UTEC will fund o Housing in Peru, certain excursions & cultural events, breakfast and lunch, and flights from Lima to Amazon o (Partial) flights cost on a needs basis only o Students: Cover visas, vaccinations, dinners, incidental spending and optional cultural events (e.g. Sandoval lake)
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Contacts See also handout • Questions can be directed to faculty and staff • Administrative Questions • Lila St. Joy: lstjoy@seas.harvard.edu (email given in application form) • Technical Questions re: trip • Joost Vlassak: vlassak@seas.harvard.edu • Julia Lee: julia@seas.harvard.edu • Past student alumni who you can also reach for questions • Bryant Huggins (bryanthuggins@college.harvard.edu) • Sophia Lee (sophialee@college.harvard.edu)
Solving Global Challenges Through Innovation Useful links • Application Deadline: 2018 October 29 • Form: https://goo.gl/forms/ZCG7eYt57CwpC3WA2 • Crimson News Article Featuring Previous Trips • https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2018/09/well-grounded-solution • Students Explore Cleaner Methods for Mining Gold: https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2016/09/digging-for-solutions- in-peru
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