The real thing in South Africa for geography students
3 March 2004
Clayton campus geography students swapped their textbooks for passports in
January when they embarked on a field trip to South Africa.
The 26 students from the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences
(SGES) received hands-on, practical experience during their excursion to the
Mpumalunga Province.
The trip was designed to reinforce environment and development issues by
investigating a number of sites in the area that borders the Gauteng Province
where Johannesburg is located.
The trip's SGES coordinators, Dr Haripriya Rangan and Dr Christian Kull, said
it showed students the importance of understanding environmental sustainability
and the impact of development in a regional context.
"The idea is for students to look at issues of sustainable development in a
practical sense, not just through textbooks," Dr Rangan said.
"During the two-and-a-half weeks, we looked at issues including land reform,
health, migration, water and infrastructure.
"We worked with people from local non-government organisations and government
agencies who talked to the students about the different environmental and
sustainability issues facing the region." she said.
"By encouraging the local agencies to work with us, we are building links
with development institutions in the region and helping develop local staff."
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