CPSP279T: Winter in Ecuador: Technology, Education and Society: Ecuador in Context
This 3-credit winter course explores the diverse social, geographic and ecological contexts of Ecuador. Set in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cuenca, Ecuador students engage in a series of activities to get a firsthand look at the interactions between technological innovations and social issues such as education, environmental and ecological sustainability, energy, food security and public health & safety. Program partnerships between UMD, the University of Cuenca (UCuenca), and indigenous communities of Shiña and Saraguro offer participants opportunities to work, live and study alongside UCuenca students, families and faculty in Ecuador. Join us as we explore the natural and cultural beauty of Ecuador through visits to several distinct biomes.
Our journey begins in Quito when we explore the effects of climate change by visiting the sacred volcano Cotopaxi. Afterwards we will travel to the center of the world and discuss how indigenous populations calculated the precise location prior to the advent of modern tenets of mathematics. We will then spend two weeks in and around Cuenca participating in several engaging cultural excursions. Some activities you will participate in include Spanish language classes, field trips to culturally symbolic sites and museums, interactive lectures, guest speakers and service- learning experiences. Course content asks students to investigate critical issues of science, technology and society and engage in meaningful conversations and activities that involve government & industry leaders, NGOs, academic experts, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders. Weekends include hiking in Cajas National Park, located high in the Andes Mountains or to scientific research centers in the tropical rain forest. Finally, we will end this once in a lifetime educational journey by exploring the beauty of Ecuador’s coast with visits to the seaside village of Montanita & Isla de la Plata where we will snorkel and see some of the flora and fauna documented in Darwin’s voyage (including the Blue-footed booby!).
Don’t miss this opportunity to apply your own knowledge and expertise while working with students, teachers, and community leaders throughout Ecuador!
CPSS270: Summer in Taiwan: Global Perspectives in Chip Technology & Intercultural Leadership
In the wake of the China–United States trade war and the heightened international competition between these two global giants, the semiconductor industry has emerged as a critical battleground with far-reaching implications. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the importance of semiconductor production, as chip shortages affected industries and became entangled in international politics and national security concerns. In 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, ushered in a new era of chip manufacturing regulation. This act has restricted China and Russia’s access to advanced chips from major manufacturers like Samsung and TSMC, placing Taiwan, the home of TSMC, in a pivotal position in the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China.
This course offers students a comprehensive exploration of Taiwan’s central role in the global semiconductor landscape. Throughout the program, students will delve into the historical context, engineering culture, and the profound impact of chip technologies on Taiwan’s economy and international relations. Through a dynamic mix of lectures, interactive discussions, in-depth readings, and hands-on field-based research and practice, students will cultivate a profound understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem. They will also grapple with the challenges and opportunities this industry presents and its profound influence on the global stage.
ENES200: Winter in Spain: Technology and Consequences. Engineering, Ethics and Humanity
What makes a technology socially responsible? At UMD, the Fearless Ideas campaign asks us to aim our enthusiasm for technology at big real problems. At the same time, we are coming to appreciate the increasingly complex nature of technological systems as they become integrated into all forms of infrastructure, we realize they may be unpredictable, interdependent on social and biological systems, and have unintended consequences.
In this midst of this complexity, people make decisions with far reaching impacts. How then do we follow our passion for technology and innovation but also stay skeptical in a way that allows us to consider the potential and shortcomings of technology? Designed for both engineering and non-engineering students wishing to explore and assess the impact of engineering technology on society and the role of society in generating that technology.
CPSP279G/ENES269Z: Winter in Germany: A Green Giant? Environmentalism and Technology in Germany, Today and Yesterday
The city of Munich will be our site for exploring Germany’s role as an economic and technological powerhouse and its claim to be a global environmental leader, both in the past and today. The city’s history, its museums, memorial sites, and factories offer a unique opportunity to study and debate the history and politics of science, technology, and the environment in Germany from the 1930s to the 2020s. Munich is home to the BMW company and the largest engineering hub for Apple in Europe. Historically, it was known as the birthplace of the Nazi party. Topics include the roles of scientists and engineers during and after the Nazi dictatorship, the complicity of big business in the Holocaust, and the rise of environmentalism and of green technology in recent last decades.
The program will offer students the opportunity to experience how a democracy memorializes a former dictatorship and how the lessons of the past resonate in today’s world. Through lectures, seminars, field trips, and collaborative work, students will learn about and discuss historical and current responsibilities of scientists, engineers, and environmentalists. We will visit exhibits at the Deutsches Museum, the world’s largest museum for the history of science and technology, and tour the BMW factory. A guided visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial site allows students to see the first and longest lasting Nazi concentration camp in person and to learn about its history. Students will work with museum curators and other scholars. These interactions will form the basis for student discussions and presentations.
We invite students with an interest in history, science, technology and engineering, environmental studies, German studies, and urban studies to join the course.