Autumn 2009: Sustainable Efforts

IMAGE_TITLE

New sustainable development degree

Emory among the first

Emory is one of ten universities worldwide to receive support to offer a new master’s degree program in development practice with a focus on sustainable development. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has pledged $900,000 to help create the program.

The MacArthur Foundation has awarded $7.6 million to seed the creation of master’s of development practice (MDP) degree programs that will provide rigorous post-graduate training for a new generation of development experts. “It’s a privilege to receive this grant and to continue to expand Emory’s engagement with sustainable development around the world,” said Lisa Tedesco, vice provost and dean of the Laney Graduate School. “This program will build on Emory’s abiding commitment to scholarship and teaching that contributes to the public good and to collaboration with partners outside the academic world.”

The MDP programs are designed to provide training beyond the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The core curriculum bridges the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and management. It combines classroom study with field experiences in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition.

Emory’s program will emphasize the health- and governance-related aspects of sustainable development through its work with partners that include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARE, and The Carter Center. “We are deeply honored to have been selected by the MacArthur Foundation to help train the innovative development practitioners who will define the future of sustainable development,” says David Nugent, MDP program director.