SUSI Global Environment Issues 2011

a big crowd, always :)

Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) Global Environment Issues is a program hosted by The University of Montana. This program focuses on environmental concerns, including climate change, forestry, water management, food security, and so forth. There are 20 participants every year, 5 people from each country (Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia). Interestingly, we are so diverse in terms of major field of study. Only so few of us study about environment -maybe only 3 or 4- and the rest are majoring in English, arts, engineering, design, business, and medical science. 

Classroom session

Almost everyday, I and the other participants have sessions, classes, field trips, and academic stuff which add to our knowledge. The speakers are all experts and committed in their fields; there are professors, researchers, ranchers, NGO people, local and state authorities, and also extraordinary students of The University of Montana. We share environment-related problems that each country faces, and discuss about how we can make improvement. We got lessons both from in-class discussions, and from out field trips too.

One of our field trip,
observing Milltown Dam

Therefore, not only we got the theories and presentations of related issues, but we also get to see the real spot that we were discussing about and even we can do something about it, like visiting the glacier and dams, measuring river, cutting weeds, and staying in Indian reservation. Each country group is assigned to make a project plan about environment to be implemented when we get back to our countries,in hope that what we've got in SUSI is helpful for our society.

Glacier National Park..snowwww!!

Outside the class, all of us live together in one dorm, where we cook and eat together, share bathroom and living room, do laundry and cleaning together, and many other things that made us more and more inseparable each day.

in front of Miller Hall

We learn a lo about American culture, and people that we met there -including our host families- also learn from us, it was so nice because what we thought of Americans before is just from TV, movies, book, or Internet. It turned out that America is a vast country with high diversity, and each place that we visited has different characteristic.

much fun!!

The committees are also a big part of this program. It is amazing how they work hard to manage the program to run smoothly, and also how they made sure that everything is fine including the participants . All of us mingle together as a big family, have fun together, experience new things, and learn new customs from each other.

Native American Center (NAC)
our study building

This program is absolutely the best program I've joined in ever! Not only we got so much enrichment in environmental issues, but also it has enhanced us culturally. We were so sad when the program ended, and we have to leave each other because we already felt like home and it might not be easy for us to get together again in the future. However, we already become better people, and we believe that in any way we will make a change and be great people in our own fields.

For more info, check this out: Mansfield Center - SUSI Global Environment