Smith Experience Abroad: 2011-12

Doing Business in Australia: Resource Management

Fall term one-credit BUSI788A and Winter term two-credits Abroad BUSI798A

Cities Sydney and Melbourne
Faculty Dr. Oliver Schlake
Dates Abroad Depart US on January 3rd, 2012 (arrive in Sydney, Australia January 5th, 2012)
Depart Melbourne, Australia on January 15th, 2012 (arrive in US January 15th, 2012)
January 3rd and January 15th are travel days and there are no course activities planned. Education Abroad requests that you purchase refundable fares; courses may be cancelled due to unexpected circumstances.
Mandatory BUSI788 pre-departure meetings First pre-departure meeting: Sunday October 16th at 9AM- 3PM, in C2 at the DC Campus (Ronald Reagan Building)
Second pre-departure meeting: date/time/location will be announced shortly.
How to Register Register on Testudo for fall BUSI788A section BA01 at the same time as your other fall courses. You will automatically be registered for the associated two-credit course abroad.

Australia is one of the world’s strongest economies, and was one of the fastest growing in the 1990s. This class will examine how the country manages its vast natural resources and environmental splendors such as the Great Barrier Reef, as well as manages its lack of resources such as water.

The discovery of gold in the early 1900s shaped current demographic patterns, and since the country’s inception in 1901 there has been an almost continuous run of mineral discoveries, including bauxite, iron, and manganese reserves as well as opals, sapphires, and other precious stones. Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal, accounting for 29% of global coal exports. Natural gas fields are liberally distributed throughout the country and now supply most of Australia's domestic needs.

Despite a wealth of many natural resources, Australia struggles to maintain an adequate water supply. The country is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, and among the world’s highest consumers of water.

This class will be led in partnership with the Center for Social Value Creation and will look at how the country is addressing long-term concerns, including climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequent droughts and floods, and management and conservation of coastal areas. We will learn how non-conventional water sources, such as seawater desalination, are playing an increasing role in Australia's water supply, and about plans for the coal industry and Australian electricity supply. We will examine how Australia plans to manage its exports of precious natural resources to China and Asia.

Oliver Schlake is the faculty lead for this course. He is an expert on innovation strategy and scenario planning.

Note:
In-country travel is expected to be about $150.
There is a $500 penalty if you drop the course after October 31st.
Please do not purchase any airline tickets until enrollment for the class is confirmed through Blackboard, around September 15th. Students are advised by UMD Education Abroad to purchase refundable airline tickets.
Program fee is $3000 plus three credits tuition (total for BUSI788 and BUSI798), which includes shared hotel room, local transportation to company visits and required cultural activities, any tickets or fees for required cultural activities, 1-2 group meals, and professor and partner fees. There is an additional $250 study abroad fee which goes directly to the campus office to maintain the emergency plan.