Biology

Dr. David Keeling, Distinguished University Professor of Geography and head of WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology, returned recently from his eighth circumnavigation of the planet, completing a three-week around-the-world tour of the South Pacific, Asia, Africa and Europe, covering about 36,000 miles, representing the American Geographical Society as part of its geographic educational outreach program.

The educational tour began in Maui, Hawaii, with discussions about global volcanic hotspots and the social-economic challenges faced by communities affected by tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia

In the Fiji islands, Dr. Keeling lectured about the South Asian diaspora and the recent geopolitical upheavals in this South Pacific Island community. In Sydney, Australia, Dr. Keeling presented a lecture on World Cities and how the Olympic Games helped to change the urban landscapes of Sydney and helped to focus greater attention on environmental remediation strategies for industrial areas.

In Bali, Indonesia, and in Chiang Mai, Thailand, his lectures focused on the themes of nationalism and identity in a global context, with case studies from recent events in Pakistan, India and Thailand, as well as ongoing conflicts around the world involving territorial claims and ethnic tensions. In Dubai, UAE, the group visited the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and discussed the role of “apocalyptic capitalism” in shaping the socio-economic future of this fascinating city.

In Mauritius, Dr. Keeling continued with the theme of Indian diaspora communities and the role of the sugar economy in the development of Africa’s most stable economy. In Cape Town, South Africa, he talked about the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the economic challenges of development in a country still challenged by poverty, resource dependency, and poor infrastructure.

On the way to Malaga, Spain, on the expedition’s final leg, Dr. Keeling talked about how geographers see the world in the 21st century though the lens of climate change, population growth and water scarcity. He provided examples of the kinds of spatial analysis that might prove useful for business executives, investors and others. The expedition ended in Spain on the last day of October.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai city

The primary mission of the American Geographical Society’s educational travel programs is to focus attention on some of the planet’s most pressing problems, such as the social implications of climate change for small island communities, ongoing ethnic tensions in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and the challenges for Islam in engaging with an increasingly Westernized global economy. A secondary mission is to demonstrate how geographers address these issues and to promote a broader geographic perspective on sustainable development issues.

“Learning about climate challenges first-hand by examining, for example, low-island communities and their vulnerability to changing resource economies within a local and global development context really helps people to understand the issues of sustainability and global change and puts the challenges we face as a global society into sharper focus,” Dr. Keeling said.

One of the benefits for WKU, Dr. Keeling said, is that the university’s growing international reputation is further enhanced through his participation in these educational tours. Students also benefit from the knowledge gained from these experiences and subsequently shared in the classroom and through research projects and study abroad programs.

Past educational expeditions have led to successful departmental study abroad programs to Argentina, Tanzania, Turkey, and Australia, among other destinations, with upcoming programs to Hawaii (Winter 2015), Chile, and Ireland (Summer 2015) already planned.

Contact: David Keeling, (270) 745-4555.