6.0   Planning for the Next Phase

6.1  On-Line Resources
6.2  Summer Institute

Discussions on an action plan for the next phase started in the Fall of 1994. A Collaborative Activities Workshop was held in Ottawa (October, 1994) which was attended by coordinators, instructors, and our IDRC partner representative.

The workshop had two major objectives:

• To discuss the recommendations from the Banff Workshop
• To adopt a final action plan for the future of Development Studies programs

The Ottawa Workshop examined all the major recommendations of the Banff Workshop and concluded that future funding will be applied to two proposals, namely, the On-Line Resources and the Summer Institute. It was agreed that both these proposals had the best prospects of bringing long-term benefits to undergraduate Development Studies programs in Canada.

The Ottawa Workshop also established a sub-committee to initiate implementation of the final decision made with respect to the On-Line Resources and the Summer Institute proposals. The sub-committee met in Ottawa in January, 1995 and finalized the action plan for both proposals.

6.1  On-Line Resources    (top of page)
All participants at the Banff Workshop acknowledged the need to have on-line information available and accessible on all Development Studies programs, government and non-government organizations, and various programs and projects. On-line resources will increase the opportunities for intellectual exchange and for sharing of teaching and learning resources. The sub-committee decided that an On-Line Resources network ought to incorporate the following features:

• Each program's most recent university calendar description for Development Studies
• Faculty profile
• Course syllabi
• Field programs and work study opportunities
• Honours theses
  

6.2  Summer Institute    (top of page)
The Banff Workshop had viewed the Summer Institute as an important avenue for bridging theory and practice, providing instructors with greater exposure to field problems and issues, and strengthening the curriculum of Development Studies programs.

The sub-committee discussed the outlines and possible locations for the Summer Institute and finally decided that the benefits of holding the Summer Institute overseas outweighed those of a domestic event. It was agreed that the Summer Institute may be held in Malaysia in January, 1996 for the duration of 15 days. An important element underlying the selection of a Southern site was to take further advantage of expertise from the region and to obtain on-the-ground exposure to development issues and challenges.

Some of the issues to be covered in the Summer Institute include:

• Hands on training for the use of On-Line Resources for contact with Southern colleagues and institutions
• The environment and sustainable development
• Gender and development
• Urban issues
• Participatory methodologies for development
• Process issues - the use of case studies and simulations in the classroom
• The use of electronic networks for teaching and research
• Rethinking development

A Summer Institute with a primary focus on students will be held in the second year. Planning for this institute will be done after the completion of the Instructor's Institute.