This is the kind of school I always wanted to go to. It is a group of scholars in the classical sense of the word and I’ve met people who I hope to be friends with for the rest of my life.
Students take a course load of 4-5 academic courses per semester. Courses focus on the areas of water management, renewable energy, ecology, sustainable agriculture, environmental politics, and more. Courses are offered at an undergraduate level, with some graduate courses available. Each course is for 3 academic credits.
*The course list is tentative to change .
Fall 2022
Taught by Dr. Elli Groner, Noam Weiss & Dr. Omer Polak
This course will present an overview of the ecology of the Arava desert. In this course,
both basic principles of ecology followed by desert ecology will be introduced.
Students will learn about desert food webs, the interaction between ecosystems,
pollution and other risks to the conservation of the Arava.
Students will study the link between the Arava ecosystems; they will study about
plants, arthropods, mammals and birds of the terrestrial ecosystem and the principles
and wildlife of the sea. While learning about different ecosystem and taxon students
will study the anthropogenic impact on wildlife.
Taught by Dr. Ofer Margalit
This course is an introductory survey of key issues and debates in contemporary environmental ethics and philosophy. It aims to introduce you to some of the main and controversial topics in the field of Environmental Ethics. The course will deal first with the glossary and principles of the definition of ethics. It will cover the historical roots and ideas of the way of thinking that eventually led to the current ecological crisis. We will also read and discuss some central texts in philosophy and especially in environmental philosophy; compare and contrast schools of thought, and explore the interaction of personal, social and political environmental issues. Throughout the course, students will encounter various topics and ethical dilemmas. The main goal of this course is to improve your ability to think critically, and to help you clarify our own values and life choices surrounding these topics.
Key topics include: anthropocentrism vs. ecocentrism, development vs. conservation, animal rights, nature in western and non-western religions, social ecology, Environmental Psychology, Future Generations.
Taught by Dr. Clive Lipchin
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the policy options for addressing environmental challenges at the local, national, regional and global scale. Such options include planning, legal tools, command and control measures, economic incentives and disincentives, and environmental impact statements, among others. We first consider how environmental problems are defined as a product of both social and environmental conditions. We delve into a range of political and economic philosophies influencing environmental policy making and consider how our own background, experiences and political opinions influence whether we define environmental conditions as problematic and how we choose policy remedies. We then open the ‘tool box’ of policy types, consider how they are applied and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. We will use a variety of case studies from the Middle East, to deepen our understanding of each.
Taught by Dr. Aviva Peeters
The course is an introduction to the concepts and application of geographic information systems and science (GIS). It is designed for students without former GIS experience, but students who have taken a course before can benefit from taking it. It focuses on the use of GIS for scientific inquiry and on its application for real-world problem solving. Different types of GIS spatial analysis are studied and applied such as suitability analysis, surface analysis and 3D analysis. Case studies from various environmental research domains are used as demonstrations. Each lesson comprises of a theoretical introduction and of an exercise. The exercises include training on the ArcGIS® Desktop software package.
Taught by Dr. David Lehrer
In a time of multiple environmental and political crises, it is especially important to understand how global resource geopolitics shape our lives in ways big and small. This introductory course equips students with the tools they need to understand the relationship between conflict, natural resources, and the effects of this relationship on development, peace, and security.
The course is divided into three parts:
Part I familiarizes students with key concepts in global resource geopolitics and examines the historical transformations that led to our present moment of global conflict, climate crisis, and widespread predictions of resource exhaustion. Part II examines the key concepts behind fears of resource scarcity, namely the environment, natural resources, and thresholds.
Part III examines key cases and governance approaches to global resource geopolitics, looking in particular at conflict minerals, oil and gas and renewable alternatives.
Taught by Dr. Noah Morris
Environmental science is the study of patterns and processes in the natural world and their modification by human activity. The course aims to offer an opportunity for candidates that may not have prior knowledge of science, to study a range of environmental issues from a scientific perspective. The aim of the course is to explain what is meant by the “scientific method” and to provide the students with scientific knowledge and understanding to enable them to review environmental issues more objectively.
This course is designed to give an overview of environmental science, focusing on global as well as local environmental issues. The course will look at past, present, and future environmental issues and the chemical, physical and statistical tools that assist in the study of the environment.
Taught by Dr. Avigail Morris
This course is designed to provide a framework for students interested in pursuing an independent research project. The course will introduce students to methods for designing, analyzing, writing and presenting both quantitative and qualitative research. It provides a unique opportunity for students to work on an individual basis with experts in their field of interest and engage in issues which are specific to the region.
In the first week of the course students will choose a research project either from ongoing research or an original research project of their choosing. (*note: in light of Covid – 19 some projects may be limited to research which can be conducted within a close proximity to the Arava Institute). Each student will either seek their own academic advisor or be assigned an academic advisor in the region who will guide them throughout the semester. Simultaneously, for the first few weeks of the semester, students will be required to attend a two-hour seminar which will teach the steps involved in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research from surveying the relevant literature to presenting the final results.
The second part of the course will focus less on frontal lectures and more on practical tutorials which will help students to progress with their individual research projects. Students will be divided according to the type of research they are conducting (qualitative, quantitative or a combination of the two) and work both in groups and individually with one of the two lecturers of the course. By the end of the semester students will have learned the skills necessary for writing a research proposal, surveying relevant literature, gathering and analyzing data, presenting the results and writing a research paper.
Taught by Dr. Miri Lavi-Neeman
Political Ecology has emerged in the past two decades as a powerful interdisciplinary critique of ecological change. In short, Political Ecology is a way for mapping political, economic, and social factors onto questions of environmental degradation and transformation. It is a powerful way therefore to politicize, apolitical discussions of ecology and the environment; to undermine common sense understandings of “the environment” as separate from “the social”, and to bring humans and non-humans into discussions about conservation.
As a theoretical tool-kit and set of empirical case-studies, the field of Political Ecology is extremely broad and diverse. This course will provide an introduction to core tenets or perspectives of political ecology. It will introduce students to key debates in the field—such as the relationship between environment and violence, the critique of environmental determinisms and of Malthusian notions of scarcity and limits, the links between conservation, control and dispossession, and more. It also evaluates the power of political ecology to explain and analyze historical and current conflicts and processes involving Israelis, Palestinians, and others in the Middle East in the context of regional and broader processes such as climate change.
Using a combination of case studies and theoretical works, we will explore a range of environmental issues including: land, forestation, settlement, energy, and environmental movements. We will follow case studies and research in particular within Israel and the Palestine, but also from other parts of the world.
This course is about wastewater treatment processes and technology, with an overview of the operation and maintenance of wastewater plants and different treatment processes. This course is intended to provide guidance and criteria for the design and selection of small-scale wastewater treatment plants. It provides both the information necessary to select, size, and design such wastewater treatment unit processes.
This subject will provide methods and technical issues related to integrated water services, treatment and reuse of water, with particular reference to urban areas, as well as an introduction to methods for the management and start-up of wastewater plants.
NON ACADEMIC COURSES
Facilitated by Lior Yom Tov, Baraa Aslih & Sarah Perle Benazera
All students and interns participate in a Peacebuilding Leadership Seminar (PLS), reflecting the Arava Institute’s mission to generate capacity-building for conciliation and cooperation, even during conflict. PLS participants engage in weekly dialogue sessions overseen by three facilitators (Israeli, Palestinian, International). Together, they discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including its historical roots, the current situation as experienced by both sides, and possible futures. They share personal experiences and family stories from different sides in the conflict, raising universal questions about identity, national ideologies, power and privilege, coexistence and personal responsibility. In this process, students are challenged to examine critically their own views, cultural values and understanding of history.
Every student, no matter the country of origin, has the opportunity to contribute significantly to this ongoing dialogue. By engaging with these issues in a multi-cultural group setting, PLS participants develop competencies in intercultural understanding and empathy. The weekly dialogue sessions are enriched by guest speakers, films on the conflict, and an intensive mid-semester trip. Workshops on storytelling, active listening and other communication skills help students in the PLS dialogue process, and contribute to developing respectful interactions within the student community.
PLS is not meant to lead to political agreement among the participants. In fact, the open dialogue reveals many ideological differences within the Conflict, as reflected by the students themselves. In PLS, we explore how to live within these differences, as individuals and groups. This builds on the Arava Institute’s belief that the social and political relationships within and between groups in this region have a significant influence on environmental practices, public policies, and grassroots activism. PLS takes advantage of the Arava Institute’s own community as a microcosm of the region, building the tools and understanding necessary to foster environmental sustainability, social justice and respect in the broader society.
Facilitated by Lindsey Zemler
In the Environmental Leadership Seminar (EL), students and interns explore environmental leadership from a unique regional perspective and in the context of their own multicultural campus community. EL introduces environmental leadership through a range of sessions and workshops held over each semester. While working together as a community and in small groups, participants explore a wide range of topics including environmental entrepreneurship, project management, holistic models for environmental living, and environmental policy and politics. In addition, each semester, EL welcomes guest speakers who bring a wealth of knowledge about current environmental initiatives.
Taught by Shoshi Hertz
In this course we will learn the basics of the Hebrew language; the Hebrew alphabet, reading, writing, conversation vocabulary, useful expressions, slang and more. Class time will be used mainly to develop verbal communication skills in a present form. During the semester (according to the class level) we’ll start learning past form.
We will explore aspects of the Jewish culture; holidays, customs, and heritage. In addition we will get a taste of the Israeli folklore through music, art, humor, slang, food…
This course is intended for MASA students, but other students may be able to participate on a case by case basis. Language learning is strongly encouraged generally among students outside of the classroom.
Spring 2023
Taught by Dr. Jessica Schäckermann and Dr. Oren Hoffman
This course introduces the concept of agroecology, how ecological processes can be applied to agricultural systems and how this can lead to new management approaches. The students will discover the differences between agribusiness and agroecology and how the principles of agroecology can be applied to small scale and big scale farms. We will learn that agroecology is not associated with organic agriculture but that it can support its principles. We will learn which ecosystem functions and connected ecosystem services are important and can help agriculture and how a functioning agroecosystem can support nature and its conservation. The course includes 2 field trips and 2 hands on sessions in which the students will use the learned information to improve habitat for service agents.
This course examines the utilization and storage for renewable technologies such as wind, solar, biomass, fuel cells and hybrid systems and for more conventional fossil fuel-based technologies. In addition, it will study the environmental consequences of energy conversion and how renewable energy can reduce air pollution and global climate change. Lastly, it will evaluate the regional environmental problems and the role of the renewable energy in solving these problems by focusing on new developments in renewable energy technologies.
Taught by Prof. Uri Shanas and Dr. Elli Groner
The aim of this course provides the students with hands-on experience in studying biodiversity by exploring its sharp decline and the human-made crisis that ecologists are trying to solve. Some of the important questions are: What species exist, and how many? How do we evaluate the abundance and the richness of species? Why is biodiversity so important? How do we set priority regions for conservation based on biodiversity? We will learn about the ecosystem changes of sand dunes including natural and anthropogenic processes. In addition, we will study the development threats to the dunes and the politics behind them. These questions and others will be dealt with before, during and after sampling several taxonomic groups on sand dunes.
Taught by Prof. Dan Rabinowitz
This course examines the impact climate change already has on the region; the consequences that might ensue as global warming advances further in the future; and the potential of the region to turn from being part of the problem to making part of the solution.
The course aims to:
- Familiarize participants with state of the art climate models for the region generally and for particular countries in it;
- Introduce participants to the notion of climate inequality, and to the link between climate change and inequality between states in the region and within them
- Expose participants to the relationship between climate change and semi-forced migration, both within countries and across national borders, and to the implications such dynamics could have for (in)security and geo-political (in)stability.
- Acquaint participants with the extraordinary potential of the Middle East for solar energy, with special emphasis on the six oil-rich countries of the Persian Gulf.
- Introduce participants to the notion of Peak Oil and, through it, to the notion that major oil producers in the region could become leaders of the global energy transition and the eclipse of fossil fuels in favor of renewables.
Taught by Prof. Dan Rabinowitz
This course examines the relationship between politics, economy and the environment, with a focus on environmental conflicts and co-operation in Palestine/Israel and its bordering territories. Its aim is to:
- Re-familiarize participants with basic concepts and ideas that span environmental thought, politics and history;
- Introduce them to pertinent case studies of political induced environmental issues arising from the Israeli-Arab conflict;
- Provide a forum for discussing contemporary environmental issues pertinent to the region
- Open opportunities for research initiatives in this field.
Taught by Dr. Avigail Morris
This seminar provides a framework for students interested in pursuing an independent research project while enrolled in the undergraduate program. Students are matched up with an academic advisor from the Arava Institute or elsewhere in the region whom they meet with on a weekly basis. Research should centered around work that can only be done in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, or Jordan, such as working with particular communities or dealing with a region-specific issue. All types of research are possible, whether they are scientifically or sociologically based. The seminar can also act as a support for research the student is currently undertaking at their home university. All students are required to write a research proposal, give an oral presentation at the end of the semester and write a final research paper.
It is expected that students undertaking the seminar have some prior experience in conducting research. Framework includes support in research design, research writing and presentation of results.
Taught by Dr. Miri Lavi-Neeman
Environment, Education, and the connections between them, are major challenges of the 21st century and an ever growing arena for activism and scholarship. This course provides an overview of, and an introduction to the history, current trajectories, concepts, and challenges, of environmental education in the 21st century. The course orients students; on the one hand, towards vocabularies and conversations prevailing in educational theories and concerning processes of social change ― we will consider the contribution and influence of such theories on environmental education. On the other hand, we will also explore some environmental concepts and challenges, and evaluate possible and actually existing on-the-ground environmental education practices ― methods and tools for learning and teaching about them. We will reflect on the environmental and educational thinking underlying them, the challenges they face, in our region and beyond, and their implications for social thinking and analysis. During the course, students will analyze relevant literature, and experiment projects, and pedagogies of environmental education.
Taught by Dr. David Lehrer
This course will survey economic thinking on environmental issues. A wide range of topics will be considered, including economic approaches to pollution control; the extent to which environmental regulations impede production of conventional goods and services; water markets; valuation of environmental resources; natural resource damage assessment; global warming; loss of biodiversity; environmental issues in developing countries; and sustainability. The course will seek to introduce students to the insights that economics can provide and to make them aware of the pitfalls of economic approaches.
Soils form a unique and irreplaceable essential resource for all terrestrial organisms, including man. Soils form not only the very thin outer skin of the earth’s crust that is exploited by plant roots for anchorage and supply of water and nutrients. Soils are complex natural bodies formed under the influence of plants, microorganisms and soil animals, water and air from their parent material, solid rock or unconsolidated sediments. Physically, chemically and mineralogically they usually differ strongly from the parent material, and normally are far more suitable as a rooting medium for plants.
In addition to serving as a substrate for plant growth, including crops and pasture, soils play a dominant role in the biogeochemical cycling of water, carbon, nitrogen and other elements, influencing the chemical composition and turnover rates of substances in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.
Taught by Dr. Noah Morris
Data and statistical analysis are being presented to us in ever increasing quantities. This course is based on the belief that statistical reasoning and an ability to understand data are essential tools for any well educated person and in particular for those involved in environmental science. The course does not aim to introduce complex mathematical methods of statistical analysis but it does aim to introduce a way of thinking about statistics and data. The course will succeed if the following aims are achieved:
- Students are able to understand and explain the statistics presented in various academic papers.
- Students are able to think critically about data which is presented.
- Students have an understanding of the methods involved in data collection and the possible pitfalls which might be faced.
- Students have an ability to present data clearly and choose which graphs are best suited to describe various data sets.
- An appreciation of the importance of making decisions in situations of uncertainty.
- When planning research the students will have the ability to design what data should be collected and how to collect it.
After taking this course it is hoped that students will be better prepared to make rational decisions in situations of uncertainty about matters of social policy. They will be able to assess critically statistical claims that they encounter during discussions or when considering a news article or an academic paper. Statistical reasoning introduces students to the basic concepts and logic of statistical analysis and gives the students introductory-level practical ability to choose, generate, and properly interpret appropriate descriptive and inferential methods. In addition, the course will help students gain an appreciation for the diverse applications of statistics and its relevance to their lives and fields of study.
Taught by Dr. Clive Lipchin
This course introduces the major issues engaging efficient water management in the Middle East. The goal of the course is to provide students with an overview of the challenges facing policy makers and water experts in effectively managing these resources and negotiating over their equitable allocation.
As water scarcity is a reality in the region, it is critical to explore the ways and means for sustainable management of this resource in the face of growing demand and dwindling supply and the associated regional plans for water allocation among the countries of the region. By concentrating on the Jordan River Basin and associated groundwater resources students learn how these waters are managed and shared. Although the basin is shared by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the course will focus on the first three riparians. The course will include a field trip covering the Jordan River Watershed. A guest lecturer from the Palestinian Authority and a guest lecturer from Jordan will participate in the course.
NON ACADEMIC COURSES
Facilitated by Lior Yom Tov, Baraa Aslih & Sarah Perle Benazera
All students and interns participate in a Peacebuilding Leadership Seminar (PLS), reflecting the Arava Institute’s mission to generate capacity-building for conciliation and cooperation, even during conflict. PLS participants engage in weekly dialogue sessions overseen by three facilitators (Israeli, Palestinian, International). Together, they discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including its historical roots, the current situation as experienced by both sides, and possible futures. They share personal experiences and family stories from different sides in the conflict, raising universal questions about identity, national ideologies, power and privilege, coexistence and personal responsibility. In this process, students are challenged to examine critically their own views, cultural values and understanding of history.
Every student, no matter the country of origin, has the opportunity to contribute significantly to this ongoing dialogue. By engaging with these issues in a multi-cultural group setting, PLS participants develop competencies in intercultural understanding and empathy. The weekly dialogue sessions are enriched by guest speakers, films on the conflict, and an intensive mid-semester trip. Workshops on storytelling, active listening and other communication skills help students in the PLS dialogue process, and contribute to developing respectful interactions within the student community.
PLS is not meant to lead to political agreement among the participants. In fact, the open dialogue reveals many ideological differences within the Conflict, as reflected by the students themselves. In PLS, we explore how to live within these differences, as individuals and groups. This builds on the Arava Institute’s belief that the social and political relationships within and between groups in this region have a significant influence on environmental practices, public policies, and grassroots activism. PLS takes advantage of the Arava Institute’s own community as a microcosm of the region, building the tools and understanding necessary to foster environmental sustainability, social justice and respect in the broader society.
Facilitated by Lindsey Zemler
In the Environmental Leadership Seminar (EL), students and interns explore environmental leadership from a unique regional perspective and in the context of their own multicultural campus community. EL introduces environmental leadership through a range of sessions and workshops held over each semester. While working together as a community and in small groups, participants explore a wide range of topics including environmental entrepreneurship, project management, holistic models for environmental living, and environmental policy and politics. In addition, each semester, EL welcomes guest speakers who bring a wealth of knowledge about current environmental initiatives.
Taught by Shoshi Hertz
In this course we will learn the basics of the Hebrew language; the Hebrew alphabet, reading, writing, conversation vocabulary, useful expressions, slang and more. Class time will be used mainly to develop verbal communication skills in a present form. During the semester (according to the class level) we’ll start learning past form.
We will explore aspects of the Jewish culture; holidays, customs, and heritage. In addition we will get a taste of the Israeli folklore through music, art, humor, slang, food…
This course is intended for MASA students, but other students may be able to participate on a case by case basis. Language learning is strongly encouraged generally among students outside of the classroom.
