Education Specialist, Ecotourism in Tibet Project

Project Ecotourism Education Specialist Ecotourism, Sustainable Development in Tibet Variable over 12 months

Effective Date: ASAP 

Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute, in cooperation with Conservation International and its in-country counterparts, the Chinese Center for Tibetan Studies, and Tibet University are undertaking an educational and cultural exchange project during the years 2006-7. This project aims to develop human capacity in Tibet that will facilitate the training of Tibetans in ecotourism and conservation in Tibetan areas. The project will develop relevant educational materials and courses in Tibetan language in order to support the work of other NGOs working with Tibetans on ecotourism implementation, and will also provide training for government planners and policy makers. 

Responsibilities: 

The successful applicant will be a person with expertise and experience in both the practical application and the teaching of sustainable development and ecotourism issues to local tourism practitioners. We are ideally looking for someone who has experience working in a context similar to that of Tibet: remote and culturally and biologically diverse, with high volume tourism that will expand rapidly in the immediate future. Experience working with communities with low local educational standards and limited tourism industry understanding/awareness is also preferred.

The role of this position is to: 

* Evaluate existing tourism curriculum at Tibet University (TU); 
* Develop the practical application of ecotourism based on the evaluation and in collaboration with the team's project economist; 
* Teach a 4-week version of the above course, in collaboration with the project economist, at Columbia University in New York to a group of 5 Tibetan tourism educators from TU; 
* Take part in the Teacher Support Workshop and meetings in Tibet; 
* Focus on providing training to tourism teachers at TU in Tibet and supporting delivery of ecotourism curriculum.

The successful applicant will: Have excellent skills at communication, including through interpreters and to non-native speakers;  Have excellent skills for developing and teaching effective, dynamic, relevant and student-centered courses and curricular materials that are highly relevant to the student's home area. 

Qualifications: Earned B.A. in Tourism, Education, or related area required. Earned M.A. or M.S. in Tourism, Education, or related area preferred. Direct industry experience preferred. A record of successful training and teaching required. Experience with Asian developing regions and ecotourism also preferred. 

Salary: $2000 per month for part-time course development and full-time US teaching (approx. 4-5 months). $200 per day for full-time Tibet-based work (approx. 1-2 months). New York per diem package will be discussed. 

Application: 

Please email a letter of application, CV, and references via email.  In the subject header please write "Tibet Ecotourism Education Specialist." 

Application Deadline: Review of applications begins ASAP and will continue until the position is filled.