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Posted on July 1, 2009 MacArthur Awards $7.6 Million to Support Master's Programs in Sustainable Development The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced grants totaling $7.6 million to nine universities in seven countries to establish new Master's in Development Practice (MDP) programs. The grants are part of the foundation's three-year, $15 million commitment to create MDP programs at up to fifteen universities worldwide, including Columbia University, which will launch its program in the fall. Grants were awarded to Emory University; the Energy Resources Institute University in New Delhi, India; James Cook University in Cairns and Townsville, Australia; Trinity College Dublin in Ireland; University College Dublin in Ireland; Beijing-based Tsinghua University; the University of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal; the University of Botswana in Gaborone; the University of Florida; and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the typical focus on the classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The program's core curriculum combines classroom study in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition with field training experiences. A global MDP secretariat supported by MacArthur and based at Columbia's Earth Institute will help manage the MDP network of universities, develop an open-source repository for the curriculum and other teaching materials, and offer an online global classroom on sustainable development. "Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty, population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected, requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions," said MacArthur Foundation president Jonathan Fanton. "These new programs are a model for training the next generation of these critically needed professionals." “MacArthur to Support Master's Programs Around the World Offering Professional Training for Future Sustainable Development Leaders.” John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Press Release 6/30/09. Primary Subject: Education Secondary Subject(s): Higher Education Location(s): International FC013586

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