Higher Education Challenge Grant: University of Missouri, Oregon
State University and Pennsylvania State University
International Comparative Rural Policy Studies (ICRPS)
Consortium of universities and research institutes: Canada, Europe, Mexico & US
Objectives
•Create a cadre of analysts who think comparatively about rural policy
• Understand the influence of history, culture and political philosophy on
rural policy
• Varying approaches to address rural issues and their comparative
outcomes
• Create an international network of colleagues who use social networking
to stay in touch
Summer institute for graduate students (2010-2012)
• The institutes have focused on sustainability in the US, Norway and Canada
• 34 US Citizens and 5 international students from US universities
• 6 US faculty members
• US students interacted with approximately 75 students from other countries
and 20 faculty members, researchers and international agencies
• Worked in approximately 15 communities in 3 countries
Pedagogy
• Co-learning: student-student, professor-student, student-professor and
professor-professor
• Co-learning: Communities to students and students to communities
• Interdisciplinary faculty and students
• Offer a variety of opportunities and teaching approaches
• Summer institute
• On-line courses
• Internships
• Book on-line
• Model behavior: 2nd year students present research and are peer mentors
• Held in a different country each year to provide an opportunity to learn
about some aspect of a country in depth
• Each university uses its standards to give credit to its students
Graduate student internships and research
• Students write a comparative research proposal or a research paper
• 2nd year students present their research
• Gain experience in comparative analysis through an international internship
• 10 internships with examples of topics:
• Italy—comparison of broadband access as a factor in land values
• Mexico—migration between Mexico and Canada
• Norway—migration policy
• Canada—nuclear waste management activism, local foods
Outcomes
• Published manuscript of case studies from the 2011
program in Norway
• Many participants are still in school
• "I did not realize at the time just how much the
experience would teach me, primarily about what is
different and the same in rural contexts across the
world. This thinking is critical to both realize what
policies can be applied from other countries'
contexts and to recognize the limitations of their
applications and the need for something new. I am
constantly reminded how rare a comparative
perspective is and how much it is needed.“
Online courses
• Research Methods
• Public Policy Theory
• Comparative Environmental Policy and Politics
• Current Issues in Rural Policy
Outcomes:
• 246 students
• Enrollment is increasing
Outcomes:
• Research: 2 theses completed, 2 theses in
progress and research papers
• “During my ICRPS internship, I explored the
ways in which community groups engaged in
contentious politics, specifically around
proposed nuclear waste storage facilities. This
opportunity allowed me to better understand
the unique methods that Canadian and
American groups use to engage with policy, in
addition to giving me a glimpse into
relationships between rural and urban
communities with respect to energy
development and waste storage. “
Yes, it is a lot of work, but the faculty also gain a lot
• Put inquisitive graduate students together and magic happens
• Faculty learn about recent policy thinking and policy changes from each
other, which is used in classes and in our research
• Helps recruit students
• Comparative and joint research projects—8 papers published
Judith I. Stallmann, Maria Augusta Figueroa-Armijos, Thomas G. Johnson (University of Missouri) and Brent Steel (Oregon State University)