NSF Funded Study Abroad Summer Program in Thailand

Join an interactive research experience in Thailand to learn about tropical food systems while growing your skills in remote sensing data analytics and land-use science. This 8-week summer program/course is FULLY funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It provides undergraduate and graduate students, particularly students from underrepresented groups, a unique opportunity to study the lasting consequences of COVID-19 on landscape change in tropical crop cultivation. Students will spend three weeks at UNC Charlotte and five weeks in Bangkok and its surrounding regions. Jointly trained by UNC Charlotte faculty and Thai mentors from Chulalongkorn University (ranked #1 in Thailand) and Thammasat University, students will develop an understanding of tropical food systems, Earth observation big data analytics, and land-use science during the cohort-based activities. The international experiences will broaden students’ horizons by exposing them to rural and urban cultures via fieldwork in agricultural and urbanizing communities and on-campus research activities in Bangkok. This project also offers unique opportunities to connect with professionals in other fields, such as inequality studies, ecological sustainability, and biodiversity in the tropics.

Student compensation: Each selected participant will receive academic credits (6 credit hours; no tuition charge but must meet the program requirements) and a competitive funding package, including a $500/week stipend, full international travel support (Charlotte to/from Bangkok), free dorm rooms, and free Thai culture and language tutoring.

Program start date: 05/19/2023; End date: 07/23/2023; Application deadline: 01/15/2023

Eligibility and application portal: https://studyabroad.uncc.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=11816

Please contact faculty directors for any inquiries: Dr. Gang Chen (Gang.Chen@uncc.edu