Appropriate Technologies Expo

Today is the Second Annual Appropriate Technologies Expo!  The event is hosted by the Sustainable International Development Institute (SIDI), the student group comprised mainly of International Development students at Korbel.

At the event, organizations will be showcasing the innovative technologies being used around the world for health, water and agriculture, construction, and alternative energy!  Tables will be set up around Korbel all day, and several organizations will be giving presentations on their work.  This year some of the organizations include:

Trailblazer Foundation provides training and appropriate technology, in order to empower rural villagers to create self-sustaining programs. Our focus includes water projects, school construction, and community development in order to foster healthy families, sufficient food, and sustainable incomes.

Filters for Families is a local organization working in Nepal to reduce exposure to arsenic and other harmful pathogens found naturally in the groundwater.  Filters for Families distributes gagri (pot) and biosand filters that reduce up to 90% of arsenic, helping to make clean drinking water available for families and improving health throughout Nepal.

TSC Global is a local organization pioneering Thin-Shell Composite, a highly durable, yet flexible latex-infused mortar that can be used to create superior roofing.  This “hypar roofing” is structurally self-supporting, low-cost, and quickly and easily made, ideal for rapid shelter construction in IDP and refugee settlements.  TSC Global is currently using TSC hypar roofing in Rwanda and is developing contracts in Haiti and Sudan.

Trees, Water & People is Fort Collins-based organization founded by a group of dedicated conservationists who feel strongly about helping communities to protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends. Their work is guided by two core beliefs: (1) That natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management; and (2) preserving local trees, wetlands, and watersheds is essential for the ongoing social, economic, and environmental health of communities everywhere. TWP develops and manages continuing reforestation, watershed protection, renewable energy, appropriate technology, and environmental education programs in Latin America and the American West.

AYZH is a social venture looking through the eyes of women to identify the tools they want and need to help improve their standard of living. AYZH serves the needs of impoverished women worldwide by bringing them affordable appropriate technologies that increase income and/or improve health.  AYZH operates an innovative business model that connects a rural woman’s health and livelihood with products designed to meet her needs. AYZH sets up supply chains for local manufacturing to keep costs low and boost economic opportunity.

Should be an interesting day!

One final down…

I am sorry that it has been awhile since I blogged…two of my courses were six-week courses and I  had friends and family visiting so things have been hectic.

Korbel offers a handful of three credit courses so the students who want to take 18 credit hours are able to do so.  Some of these courses are only six weeks because you’re only taking them for three credits.  This is the case for my Microfinance class and my Health and Response class.  I finished my Microfinance final yesterday…whew, what a relief. As part of the final, I was given a scenario in which I was a consultant for an MFI.  I needed to advise them on the risks that need to be considered when managing an MFI and a set of tools to manage this risk.  I am still working on my final paper for Health and Response and I am hopeful that I will be able to finish it tomorrow!  I need to move on to my next and LAST final paper of my graduate school career.

The job search is  moving forward.  My last career class was yesterday, overall the six-week course was very helpful.  It focused on the entire process, starting with identifying your strengths, networking,  resumes, cover letters, interviews and negotiations.  It has given me an action plan on how to proceed with my job search!

It is hard to believe that I only have three weeks of school left.  I am trying to make the most of it and stay focused on my classes!

Week 5 and counting…

At this point in the quarter, I find my self caught up in reading, writing, preparing for presentations, job searching and a little skiing on the side.

In my Health and Response class, a group of 3-5 students gives a presentation on the class material assigned each week.  Last week my group’s topic was the Antithesis of health “care”.  Each member of the group chose a case study that was of particular interest to them to represent the assigned topic.  I presented on the Ethiopian famine of 1984-85 and how the political infrastructure and government policies negatively affected the response of the international community.  The international community was very slow to respond to the crisis which further combated the problem. I am going to write my final paper for this class about this same topic going into further detail.  This style of class is an excellent opportunity for students to research their particular interests.  It also gives other students to learn about events that they may know very little about and how it relates back to health and emergency response.

I have a second presentation this week in my International Organizations class.  I am still in the process of researching and preparing for this assignment.  My assigned topic is security and peacekeeping.  I have chosen to present on the Sierra Leone Civil War and identify the roles that international organizations played during and after that conflict.

I wish I had more time to dedicate my job search at this point, but I am trying to give it at least 10 hours a week.  I am learning the importance and necessity of networking to help me through this process.

And last but not least, last Friday was a great day on the mountains.  There was fresh powder and the sun was shining!  Although, I probably should have been studying or job searching, everyone needs to take a break once in a while!

Classes are in Full Swing!

Wow!  The first week of winter quarter has already come and gone.   The weeks seem to really fly by especially since Korbel is on the quarter system. Professors are ready to hit the ground running the first day of class and expect students to be ready too.  I am very excited about all three of my classes this quarter because they are very different.  My microfinance class is very practical in nature, where we will be examining and analyzing financial statements of various microfinance institutions (MFIs) to determine how well the MFI is operating and if it is meeting its goals.  Our first case study is the Grameen Bank.  My International Organizations class is reading intensive.    This course focuses on the roles of international organizations in different areas of study such as peace and security, human rights, humanitarian assistance, development, international trade, finance and the environment.   The United Nations will be one of the organizations that is given emphasis during this course.  My Health Security Issues in Response and Recovery class examines systems and procedures that are in place in governmental, private organizations and NGOs in response and recovery to crises such as natural disasters and terrorism.  We will be following the tragic earthquake that just occurred in Haiti as the response and recovery to this event unfolds.  I am also taking the a  six week course that Career Services offers that helps student prepare for their job search.  This week was all about self assessment and defining personal values.  More to come next week…

Winter Break!!

Finals are finally over and I survived.  To be honest they have been over for a couple of weeks now and I have been enjoying some much needed down time after exams, presentations and final papers.  So, I am spending my break working, job searching, skiing and spending time with friends and family.

I am beginning my job search by updating my resume and making a list of organizations that may be of interest to me.  I am using the career services website as a starting point for my search as they have an extensive database of potential employers and organizations that are hiring.

I have only been skiing once so far, but I was so excited to be back on the slopes.  The conditions are not great yet, but hoping we get some snow soon.

I am taking three classes next quarter; International Organizations, Practical Tools for Microfinance and Health Issues Response and Recovery.  I look forward to keeping you posted on my classes once they get started in January.

Happy Holidays!

Peace House Tanzania

I am currently the Co-President of student group called Graduates Involved in Volunteer Effort (G.I.V.E.), which is a student organization through the Daniels College of Business.  Last week, we hosted the Headmistress, Theopista Seuya, from Peace House Tanzania at the Korbel School for a question and answer session about Peace House, the Tanzania education system and the University of Denver’s relationship with Peace House.  For more information about Peace House Africa go to http://www.peacehousefoundation.org/.

Peace House Tanzania is a secondary school that has been established for orphaned and vulnerable children.  Daniels is partnering with Peace House to promote an entrepreneurship training program.  It is the hope of the partnership that students who graduate from Peace House will be able to more easily transition into the workforce through formal education and the entrepreneurship training program.

I had the good fortune of being able to visit Peace House last November with a number of other DU students.  We spent the day meeting with students about their education experiences, Peace House and their future ambitions.  We played volleyball, soccer and the students performed a talent show.  The opportunity to visit Peace House’s efforts firsthand and the opportunity the organization is giving to the children is amazing!  We also visited numerous local companies, government offices and NGO’s to learn more about Tanzania and how to incorporate these learnings into the Peace House curriculum.

It was a privilege to have Theo come to DU and visit our campus and give us an update of the happenings in Tanzania!

There are many courses offered at DU that have a travel component that Korbel students can participate, such as the one to Tanzania.   I highly recommend students take advantage of the international experiences that are offered because they are a valuable component to your education.

International Development

Hi, my name is Kara Jacobs and I am a third year student at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.  I am pursuing a dual degree in International Development and International Business at the Daniels College of Business.

I was born in raised in West Des Moines, IA.   I attended the University of Denver as an undergraduate where I studied finance/marketing.  I also participated in the  study abroad  program, Semester at Sea, this is where I started to become very interested in international issues and in particular development.  After I graduated, I moved to Washington DC and worked for an investment consulting firm as and Operations Manager.  Although I loved my job, I realized my career was not headed in the direction I wanted it to go and it was time to make a change.  I applied to many schools, but ultimately chose the University of Denver because of the dual degree option, the flexibility of the Korbel curriculum and I missed Denver.  (I love to ski and can’t wait for the slopes to open!)  So there is the very brief synopsis on how I got here.

This quarter I am taking four classes; International Law, Managing Exports, Practical Applications of Global Health and International Project Analysis.  Each of my classes this quarter has a group project component, which is a great learning tool, but can also be frustrating when trying to arrange so many different schedules to get your work done.  Sometimes I forget that all graduate students are busy and not just me!

I have also been busy updating/editing my resume.  I am planning on starting my job search in December over winter break, so a perfected resume will be key!

The quarter ends in a couple weeks so the workload is heavy right now with final exams and final paper deadlines looming…