An almost decade-old program that brings scholars from developing nations to the Watson Institute is in danger of ending after this semester if it does not find future funding.
The Watson Institute Scholars of the Environment come to Brown for one semester to contribute to dialogue on sustainability and gain the knowledge and essential connections needed to improve conditions in their home countries.
But the program's funding cycle ends this year, and the University is searching for grant money or donations that would allow it to continue.
Launched in 2001, the environmental scholars program began with a $1.2 million grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, a philanthropic organization devoted to "international understanding," according to its Web site. That money sustained the program's first four-year cycle, but the Luce Foundation is "not inviting new proposals" for environmental initiatives as of 2007.
When the initial funds ran out, it took the University two years to secure another grant from the Luce Foundation, this time with a special land-use focus, said Laura Sadovnikoff, project manager for Watson. This second grant funded the 2007 group of scholars and was slated to cover a three-year cycle ending this semester.
The WISE program counts among its alumni almost 60 scholars in 40 countries in the developing world, and the 2009 cycle was the first time the program targeted scholars from one specific region, Africa. This year's nine scholars come from a pool of 100
applicants.
The nine scholars involved in this semester's program take AFRI 1060M: "African Environmental History" alongside undergraduates.
"We're working like mad to find funding," said Associate Professor of History Nancy Jacobs, who teaches the course. "Even in times of budget crisis, we think that the program is doing so much good that it will be recognized."
This year's scholars, who are drawn from six different African nations, attested to the value of the program.
"This program will definitely improve my work back home," said Jane Nagayi Kalule Yawe, a lecturer at Gulu University in Uganda. On a recent visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yawe saw energy-saving stoves and manually operated maize mills that would improve the day-to-day lives of people in Uganda, she said.
Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji, chief executive officer of the Rural Africa Water Development Project in Nigeria, agreed that the opportunities to interact with other scholars and students at Brown have been beneficial. But he said there is uncertainty as to the role of the WISE scholars and suggested that future scholars could teach or work as teaching assistants in courses to further engage with the University community.
Other scholars, while generally positive about the program, recommended that it run for a longer period of time, facilitate connections among alumni and ensure that the program's benefits are not lost once the scholars return to their home countries.
J. Timmons Roberts, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Environmental Studies, said he remains "cautiously hopeful" about fundraising efforts. He pointed to a collaboration with WISE scholar Kawsu Jammeh, a project coordinator at the DBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas in the Gambia, in writing a proposal on integrated climate change and biodiversity restoration as evidence of the program's unique ability to foster connections and development.
"What a resource it is to have nine Africans in mid-career, interacting with undergraduates," Roberts said. "There's nothing like it."
