Impressions from the Field: Harvard and Poli-USP Engineers Explore Brazil: 01/16/15

Friday, January 16, 2015

Kristen Faulkner '16

Ricardo Moreira Lisboa 4th year

We just visited the water treatment plant that purifies sewage water for industrial use. One thing that stood out from the visit is how much political lobbying affects engineering projects in Brazil. Politicians often have a different agenda from industry, and the government has the power to put its priorities first. Despite the imperfect political scene, it is nice to see water being reused and sustainable projects underway. Brazil is certainly making progress in becoming a sustainable country.

One thing I am very pleased with is how well the Brazil students and Harvard students get along. Every night we hang out and play games, laugh, drink, and discuss intellectual issues that affect all of us. The people on this trip are intelligent, friendly, and highly curious, which leads to a wonderful group dynamic. Word on the street is that we are the most inquisitive group in a few years. We are learning so much, and we are so pleased that we chose to participate in this trip. Wooh!

About

This collaborative field course is an initiative of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Escola Politécnica of the Universidade de São Paulo (Poli-USP), and Harvard's David Rockefeller Center for Latin America Studies.

The course will take place in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) from January 11-21, 2015, with equal numbers of participants from Poli-USP and Harvard. It offers the unique chance for participating students and faculty to explore the complex challenges faced by engineers, urban planners, and policy makers in the field.

2015 topic: Sustainable Cities
The intense growth of cities in recent decades has increased the urgency of finding sustainable solutions for resource use in urban environments. Through a combination of field site visits, lectures and group discussions, the 2015 SEAS/Poli-USP Collaborative Field Course on Sustainable Cities offers the opportunity for hands-on engagement in São Paulo, a metropolis of 20 million inhabitants. During the course, participants will gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for urban challenges and solutions related to energy, sanitation, transportation, water and more.

In 2014, Brazilian students visited Harvard to learn about Urban Adaptation to Climate Change. The year before, in 2013, Harvard students traveled to Brazil to study The Global Challenges of Energy Production. The 2013 blog posts are archived below. This is the sixth year of the program.

Views expressed in this blog are the personal views of the individual authors, and the statements made do not officially represent views of the University or any of its units or officers.