At the tail end of a semester spent in Byron Bay Australia focused on indigenous communities and humans’ connections their environments, students from Long Island University’s Global Studies program travel to Bali to further expand on their course themes. Bali provides them with another unique example of the diversity of of indigenous cultures and their challenges in the ever-changing landscape of a globalizing society. Students meet with a wide-variety of Balinese stakeholders to gain a well-rounded view of how Bali views and approaches the challenges facing the island.
Each North American spring semester (Jan-Apr), Long Island University’s Australia Program provides students with the opportunity to live, learn and study in beautiful Byron Bay, Australia, where they can explore the dynamic relationships between humans and their environments from multiple disciplinary perspectives and by engaging with diverse ways of knowing.
In 2014, LIU’s Australia Program began including a Bali component that provides an important regional and comparative context, and has partnered with the Bali Institute to allow students to further deepen their understanding of the critical juncture of Indigenous and environmental issues.
While in Australia, students participate in seminars, guest lectures, excursions, field trips and an Aboriginal bush camp, focusing on Indigenous peoples and philosophies, eco-cultural history, ecological and cultural diversity in Australia, environmental ethics and sustainability, and the crucial relationship between social justice and environmental justice.
In Bali, students further expand their understanding of the breadth and significance of indigenous cultures and their diverse challenges in a globalizing and modernizing world. Students meet with Balinese entrepreneurs, environmentalists, artists, activists, and cultural leaders to learn about Bali’s history, traditions, and changing landscape, and discover creative solutions being implemented to address challenges currently facing the island.
Overall, this interdisciplinary program is characterized by a finely tuned balance between exciting experiential learning and rigorous academics.
This program is one part of LIU Global’s unique and immersive four-year undergraduate degree in global studies which takes students to live, study and work in up to eight countries on five continents (www.liu.edu/global). The program usually has a rich mix of students from a variety of backgrounds and is most suitable for those in their sophomore and junior year. Visiting students from other universities are welcome to apply.