Location:

Brisbane, Australia

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

This unique program is also offered in collaboration with the College of Heath at Massey University, New Zealand. As such, it represents a new initiative in study abroad in which U.S. and Kiwi students will travel and study together on a program in Australia.

Human health and environmental sustainability are inextricably interwoven with each other, and also with the cultural practices and understandings in which they are embedded. The ways in which we communicate about health — from public health campaigns about driver safety or second-hand smoke to climate change actions or to birthing rituals conducted by indigenous healers — likewise interact with culture and environment. Australia’s Sydney and Far Northeast Queensland offer ideal laboratories for comparing and contrasting cultures (notably Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders, and western) and environments (Great Barrier Reef, rainforest, and Outback) to understand the relation between sustainability and public health.

Program cost includes all accommodations, field excursions, cultural events, insurance, in-country ground transportation, and many meals. Tuition (HOPE applies and out-of-state or non-UGA students pay in-state tuition) and and airfare are additional. We also strongly recommend purchasing trip cancellation insurance for these tickets (at approximately $25) and deposit deadline is TBA.

Setting Description:

We begin the program with a few days in Sydney, considered one of the world’s best cities to live and play, taking classes and local field trips with UGA faculty and Australian experts, and visiting iconic places such as the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. From Sydney we travel to Far Northeast Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, where we explore Western approaches to health from cultural, economic, and environmental perspectives. We then travel to the rainforest and to the Outback to investigate Aboriginal perspectives to sustaining healthy communities and environments.

Cost:

$2,995