WATERLOO - A new international development program at the University of Waterloo will equip students with key environmental and business knowledge to tackle seemingly intractable problems in the developing world.

The four-year bachelor degree program, aimed at students concerned about poverty and the environment, features second language instruction and work-integrated learning. Graduates of the program will be able to develop urban development and green-conscious practices and models for an increasingly urban world.

"The international development program at Waterloo is unique because it is rooted in environmental sustainability," says Deep Saini, UW's dean of environmental studies. "The program enables students to use their education to help developing countries around the world improve their economic, environmental, political and social systems."

The program, beginning in September, will be offered by the faculty of environmental studies in partnership with St. Paul's United College at UW. Students will take courses covering cultural, ethical and business dimensions of development, along with language instruction and courses on environmental, urban and economic issues. In their final year, they will spend eight months working on a project in a developing country.

"People who have the right knowledge, business skills and perspectives can create positive change in overseas communities where there are issues of economic inequality, social injustice and environmental degradation," says Graham Brown, principal of St. Paul's. "This new program teaches students to take what they are passionate about and act on it in a way that is effective, sustainable and responsible."

The program allows students to:

* receive eight months of international experience, * learn a second language in order to improve their ability to work in other countries, * gain environmental knowledge and plan sustainable projects, and * obtain a solid training in business skills.

The international fieldwork project will allow students to test the knowledge they have acquired and put it into action. They can, for example, work on a health-care delivery system, do an environmental assessment or develop urban social services.

The trans-disciplinary field of international development has evolved significantly over the past 25 years, with governments, civil society organizations and private enterprises looking for people prepared to be development catalysts at the community project level.

Students, therefore, must have the knowledge, business skills and innovative thinking required to bring about human development that is environmentally sustainable, culturally responsible and scientifically accountable.

Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue careers with international organizations, non-government organizations, government agencies, entrepreneurship or economic development agencies, and businesses with international management and sales.