On behalf of the Center for International Development and
Conflict Management, I am pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new
opportunity for UMD students:
Geographies of
Conflict and Development (GeoCoDe)
Attached is a document with further details about this
program.
In brief, GeoCoDe will build important, marketable
expertise in geographic analysis that transitions immediately to close
involvement in a major faculty-led research project to study the relationship
between foreign development assistance and the dynamics of intrastate armed
conflict.
We are seeking 40 undergraduate students to
participate.
GeoCoDe consists of three stages:
1.
A special topics
course during the Spring 2015 semester.
During the first half, students
will receive relevant introduction and training. In-class and online lectures,
complemented by hands-on interactive experiences, will be conducted by the
instructors and guest experts.
In addition, teams comprised of 4-6
students will be constituted. During the remainder of the semester, each team
will tackle georeferencing (i.e., match mapping coordinates of locations
identified based on related documentation) development projects for a particular
country in Africa. Teams will also draft plans for analytical products – e.g.,
country profiles, blog columns, policy briefs, academic articles – that examine
key patterns and trends of relationships between development assistance and
armed conflict. Appropriate templates and specific topics will be devised in
consultation with the instructors.
On
Testudo, you will soon find the following listing:
|
GVPT368: Special Topics in Government and Politics -
Geographies of Conflict and Development (GeoCoDe)
Perm required
Credits: 3
Grading Method: Regular, Pass-Fail, Audit
Restriction: Sophomore standing or higher, permission of
instructors.
This course will cultivate knowledge and skills in
studying the geographic patterns, trends, and relationships of armed conflict
and development assistance around the world. Students will receive training
from experts on key theories, information resources, methods and tools, then
be involved in direct applications to data development and analysis, working
in teams, as part of a major active research
project. The expectation is that most students enrolling in the course
will continue in paid internship positions during the Summer 2015, then take
a follow-up course focusing on generating written and online work products
during the Fall 2015 semester.
Contact dbacker@umd.edu
for permission to register in the course.
Sections
0101 Paul Huth &
David
Backer
Seats (Total: 40, Open: 40, Waitlist: 0)
Tu 2:00 pm – 4:00
pm
VMH 1203
|
2.
A paid research
assistantship during the Summer 2015.
Students
who successfully complete the course will continue in paid summer research
assistant positions.
The teams
will work intensively – approximately 25-30 hours per week for 10 weeks – to
advance the georeferencing and begin assembling analytical products.
3.
A special topics
course during the Fall 2015 semester.
The teams
will finish the georeferencing, as necessary.
Most of
the time will be devoted, however, to completing analytical products. Each team
will generate at least three products, together resulting in a comprehensive
set of country profiles. Teams will present products both to peers and at a
public symposium. Afterwards, the products will be refined and expanded in
collaboration with senior project personnel, as warranted, and released on the
research project website. Select products may later be transformed into
publications co-authored with senior project personnel.
In order to participate, please fill in the table below and
email as soon as possible to dbacker@umd.edu.
|
NAME
|
|
|
UID
|
|
|
EMAIL
|
|
|
MAJOR(S)
|
|
|
MINOR(S)
|
|
|
EXPECTED
GRADUATION
|
|
|
OVERALL
GPA
|
|
|
GPA
IN MAJOR(S)
|
|
|
ANY
PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND SOFTWARE
|
|
|
INTEREST
IN PROGRAM (100 WORDS OR LESS)
|
|
|
ARE
YOU INCLINED AND AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ENTIRE PROGRAM?
Note:
Students prepared to participate in the entire program have priority for
spots.
|
|
Permissions will be granted on a rolling basis.
Please forward this announcement to peers who might be
interested – and encourage them to participate.
Sincerely,
David Backer, PhD
Assistant Director
Center for International Development and Conflict
Management
2117H Chincoteague Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
phone: +1-301-314-7704
fax: +1-301-314-9256
CIDCM website: http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/
Co-Editor, Peace and Conflict (http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/pc/)
