About the Program
This course is led by Andres Varhola, Faculty of Forestry
- Dates: May 1, 2023 – June 7, 2023; First Week in Vancouver
- Travel dates: Approx May 6 – June 7, 2023
- Format: In person
- Locations visited: Vancouver and Chile
- Approximate program fees: $4500.00 - $5000.00 (plus tuition and flights)
- Funding: All qualifying students will receive a $1,000 Go Global Award. Up to 6 eligible participants will receive additional Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) funding covering the entire cost of the program, as well as tuition and flight costs. Up to 9 eligible participants will receive additional funding covering approximately 50% of the cost of participating in the program. More information below. We encourage students who are not eligible for the GSO funding to apply for the Global Pathfinder Award. See Program Fees and Costs for more details.
Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) Funding
Funding for this program is open to students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Indigenous students, and those who are low-income or have a disability, are eligible for an award to cover the full cost of participating in the program. Other Canadian students are eligible for an award covering about 50% of the cost of participating.
- Up to 6 students who are low-income, have a disability or are Indigenous will receive a GSO award of $7200 and a $1000 Go Global Award to cover the program fee and related costs.
- Up to 9 students will be selected for partial program funding and will receive a GSO award of $3000 and a $1000 Go Global Award.
International students are unfortunately not eligible for GSO funding. International students selected for this program will receive a Go Global Award of $1000.
About the Course
This course offers a profound vision of how forestry stakeholders can contribute with solutions for producing more wood without deforesting while alleviating environmental and social issues. Chile is blessed with a remarkable diversity of resources such as industrial plantations with some of the fastest tree growth rates in the planet, exuberant native forests of high protection value, a world-class modern forest industry, diverse geoclimatic conditions, a well-developed institutional forestry network, and extraordinary indigenous knowledge.
Contents are organized in four modules: Chile in the global forestry context, fundamentals of intensive silviculture, cutting edge forest products and society & land use optimization. Based on the spectacular Chilean scenery, participants will hold a fascinating broader discussion about native vs. planted forests and how government policies have historically influenced deforestation and competition between traditional land uses —forestry, agriculture, urban development and even energy production.
Solutions to century-old land use and forest productivity inefficiencies will be elaborated in the Chilean laboratory but with a global transformative perspective. To achieve this, students will visit a variety of magnificent natural forests, productive fast-growing plantations, ecological restoration efforts, agricultural and urban landscapes, industrial wood processing facilities, tree nurseries, research trials of exotic and native tree species, and key forestry institutions.