USAID university development linkage project : Montana and Belize partnership for resource conservation and development -- institution building and internationalization at the University College of Belize and the University of Montana : models for sustainable resource development (936-5063) -- final project report

Collaborating institutions included the Belize Forestry Department, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Program for Belize, Belize Audubon Society, Belize Center for Environmental Studies, the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB), and the Lewis and Clark National Forest. This project successfully met its objectives. (1) UCB expanded its outreach and continuing education capacity. Using priorities identified through a collaborative planning process established under the project among the Government of Belize (GOB), conservation NGOs, and ATLIB, UM and UCB developed and delivered 23 short, in-country training courses for the GOB and NGO personnel in such areas as environmental impact assessment, wildlife inventory methodology, wildlife management, and other topics. (2) Capabilities of UCB faculty and staff were enhanced through faculty exchanges and advanced degree training. Training was also provided for UCB library, accounting, registrar, external relations, book store, and general administrative staff. (3) UM faculty and UCB counterparts reviewed curriculum and program development in environmental sciences, and exchanged ideas regarding the most appropriate course formats for visiting UM faculty. An Associate Degree Program in NRM was developed at UCB, and the first students were admitted in the Fall of 1996. (4) Funds were provided to expand UCB and UM library holdings in NRM and development studies. (5) The project supported an annual, interdisciplinary field course for Belizean and American students and a related semester-long course at UM. The seminar and field course are now offered on a permanent, alternate year basis at UM. (6) The project provided small grants for six collaborative research projects between UM faculty and Belizean counterparts and supported the dissertation research of two Belizean Ph.D. students. The project also provided UCB with a wide range of equipment. (7) The project provided international experiences to 18 UM faculty and staff, and (8) enhanced the international and cross-cultural components of existing courses at UM, particularly in the School of Forestry and the Department of Sociology. Faculty participants incorporated or plan to incorporate tropical and/or development issues into regularly offered UM courses based on their experiences in Belize. (9) The project supported professional internship experiences for 10 UM students, who worked with the Belize Forestry Department, and three Belizeans, who interned with Lewis and Clark National Forest. In sum, the project significantly strengthened UCB institution and staff capabilities in NRM and enriched the international experience and content of UM faculty and curricula. UCB is now well positioned to assume a leadership role in Belizean NRM education.