Photos Credit: SCL Summer School Participants

The inaugural Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Galapagos Summer School, a three-week field study from June 22 to July 13 in 2024, provided 36 students from the University of Oregon, Universidad San Francisco de Quito and The University of Hong Kong with a uniquely immersive experience in the Galápagos Islands.

The Summer School is a place-based sustainability education initiative led by the APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) Research Hub based at the University of Oregon. The focus is on action-based learning and the intricate relationship between urban development and natural ecosystems.

The participants arrived individually in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, before flying together to San Cristobal in the Galápagos Islands, where the main campus of the activity is located. While in the Galápagos, students lived with host families.

“Students and professors shared with residents, experts from various disciplines, and peers from around the world an immersive experience,” said Professor Jaime Eduardo López Andrade, Director of the Institute of Architecture and Urban Form at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).

“They learned experientially about the social, economic, and environmental needs of the communities inhabiting the Galápagos Islands, a natural heritage of humanity.”

Elise O’Brien, Masters student in Folklore Studies and Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon, said it was very exciting to spend time with students from other universities.

“Meeting them was very joyful for me,” O’Brien said. “My trip passed in a dream-like state, and I didn’t want to leave San Cristobal.”

The concept of developing a summer program for students in the Galapagos was incubated during the 6th APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference in August 2023, which was hosted by USFQ in Quito and San Cristobal Island. Academics and educators from the University of Oregon and USFQ worked closely to develop the syllabus and finally the pilot summer program took shape.

“The Galápagos Islands offer an unparalleled setting for studying sustainable cities and landscapes, where evolving urban settlements are intricately embedded in a delicate and complex natural environment,” said Professor Yizhao Yang from School of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. She is also a steering committee member of the APRU SCL Research Hub.

“Our Galápagos summer study abroad program immerses students in the unique ecosystems and communities of the archipelago, providing invaluable experiential learning opportunities that deeply influence their perspectives and understanding of sustainability.”