The Global Climate Crisis: East to West
Perspectives, challenges and solutions.
About the program
Dates: June 7 - July 5, 2023 (Wednesdays - no session on June 28)
Location: Online
This pilot Global Virtual Classroom program is a four-week online student research forum focused on the health impacts of climate change. The forum is an opportunity for students from UBC and The Aga Khan University to collaborate across disciplines and cultures, problem-solve on some of the world's toughest issues, and co-create original research. With mixed teams involving students from both universities, the program consists of the following:
- Lectures, discussions and workshops led by academics and professionals in the field
- Pre-course assignments to prepare for the academic sessions and group work
- Group work to develop original research presentations based on the topic
- Virtual site visits
- Final group presentations
- Final individual report
Theme: The Global Climate Crisis: East to West; perspectives, challenges and solutions.
Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity, and health professionals worldwide are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths, the world must limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Past emissions have already made a certain level of global temperature rise and other changes to the climate inevitable. Global heating of even 1.5°C is not considered safe, however; every additional tenth of a degree of warming will take a serious toll on people’s lives and health.
While no one is safe from these risks, the people whose health is being harmed first and worst by the climate crisis are the people who contribute least to its causes, and who are least able to protect themselves and their families against it - people in low-income and disadvantaged countries and communities.
The climate crisis threatens to undo the last fifty years of progress in development, global health, and poverty reduction, and to further widen existing health inequalities between and within populations. It severely jeopardizes the realization of universal health coverage (UHC) in various ways – including by compounding the existing burden of disease and by exacerbating existing barriers to accessing health services, often at the times when they are most needed. Over 930 million people - around 12% of the world’s population - spend at least 10% of their household budget to pay for health care. With the poorest people largely uninsured, health shocks and stresses already currently push around 100 million people into poverty every year, with the impacts of climate change worsening this trend.
(https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health)
Key issues and questions for reflection and group work:
- What are the health impacts of climate change globally, what are the pathways through which impacts occur, and what are the similarities and differences in Canada and Pakistan?
- What populations are most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change in Canada and Pakistan?
- What approaches can be used to reduce inequity in the health impacts of climate change? What can be done to minimize impacts on those who are marginalized or disadvantaged?
- What adaptation approaches are in place in both countries; what approaches can be transferred across settings?
- How can educators, researchers, health providers and policymakers in different countries work together to help address the health impacts of climate change?
- What are the opportunities within climate mitigation policies to provide health co-benefits?
- What is the role of healthcare providers in making climate a health issue and using climate adaptation as an opportunity to improve population health (e.g. active transportation, plant-based diets, etc.)?
Participating students will have the opportunity to learn about the health impacts of climate change and climate change education in Canada and Pakistan first-hand while receiving mentorship from professors from both UBC and AKU.
Format
The forum consists of four, two-hour academic sessions held weekly on Wednesdays (June 7, 14, 21 & July 5). The first three sessions will each be led by a UBC and an AKU faculty member and each session will focus on a different aspect of the theme. Students will be placed into cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary teams to work on developing a group research presentation focused on a sub-theme of their choice. Teams will meet outside lecture hours to work on their research presentations, which will be delivered on the final Saturday.
Sessions will be held at 8 – 10 am (June 7 & July 5) and 8 – 10 pm (June 14 & 21) Pacific Time.
About AKU
"The mission of the Aga Khan University (AKU) is to improve quality of life in the developing world and beyond through world-class teaching, research and health-care delivery. The University educates students for local and global leadership, generates new knowledge to solve problems that affect millions of people, and raises standards and aspirations in the countries in which it works. We empower women and the disadvantaged, build support for pluralism, and collaborate with local partners and world-renowned organizations to achieve shared goals.
Founded in 1983 as Pakistan’s first private university, AKU is a not-for-profit institution and an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. Starting in 2000, the University expanded to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom."
UBC Academic Sponsors
AKU Academic Sponsors
Student eligibility
Up to 15 UBC students will be selected to participate: Undergraduate students or graduate students are eligible to apply, though priority will be given to senior undergraduate students. Successful applicants should demonstrate a strong academic performance, interest and experiences in extra-curricular activities, and be a good team-player.
- Full time undergraduate or graduate students (minimum 18 credits in the 2022-23 academic year)
- Minimum 70% academic average overall, and in Term 1 2022
- Currently 2nd year status or higher
- Students from any faculty are eligible
- Students from both UBC-V and UBC-O are eligible
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Highly motivated students who possess a strong interest in the forum themes. Prior to the forum, participants should prepare themselves for fruitful discussion by researching on a specific topic of their interest relevant to the main theme.
Fees
This is a fully funded program. There are no student participation fees.
How to apply
Application deadline: March 28, 2023 at 4 pm.
Complete the online application.
In your application you will be asked to provide a Statement of Intent (500 words maximum) commenting on the following:
- Your motivation for joining this program
- Your interest in the topic
- How this program will benefit you in your current academic program and support your career goals
- What you can bring to this global collaborative program
- Any experience working on a team
- Leadership skills
- Your interest and/or experience in community engagement or service
Please also upload your most up-to-date resume/CV.
Selected students will be notified by April 6.