Financing a Sustainable Future
A key element in the transition to a sustainable society will be figuring out how to pay for it all. Taking the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals as a starting point, this course seeks to identify innovative ways of providing capital for projects leading to healthier, wealthier and more just human societies able to live in harmony with the natural environment. In "Financing a Sustainable Future," students will examine various methods of funding sustainable investment projects - those clearing the four hurdles of sustainability, strategy, financial return and practicality -- with special emphasis on projects related to global health. During January 2007, students will travel to Tanzania to explore the feasibility of establishing a local enterprise for the production of AIDS-related diagnostic testing devices.
The course's chief assignment will be the preparation of a business plan that outlines and assesses the opportunities, risks and financing needs associated with the proposed manufacturing facility. Working in groups and in partnership with students from a local university, participants will gather information, evaluate alternatives, and offer recommendations of potential use to a variety of funding sources.
Three evening briefings will be held during the Fall semester to provide information on the specific medical conditions to be diagnosed, business plan preparation, and life in Tanzania and the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Because our time in Africa is so limited, students will be expected to complete some reading assignments over Winter break. Course pedagogy will consist of short lectures, presentations by guest speakers, field trips, readings, discussion, and a hands-on sustainable financing project.