by Julia Carachure
Staff Writer
Dr. Iraj Parchamazad, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Al Clark, vice president of academic affairs, are hoping to teach a new Core 340 class this summer, in which they will travel to France.
The class, entitled “Chemistry, History and Politics of Sustainable Energy,” focuses the study of energy in the country of France.
Other aspects of the class include environmental issues, politics and history of France. The class will be able to compare these issues that exist in the United States and other countries in the world.
Dr. Parchamazad said that they are starting with France because, “I did my graduate work in France and I know it [the energy issues], and so we start this year with France.”
Another reason that Dr. Parchamazad said they chose France was because it uses 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and for the most part, there has been no major accidents.
“We want to see really what is the management [between both countries],” Dr. Parchamazad said.
Dr. Clark and Dr. Parchamazad are working with a travel agent in terms of getting the prices and dates set for the trip in order for students to know the cost of the trip.
“France is one of the most advanced countries from the point of technology and science.
“We want to compare both these things together so a student will understand a lot of different things,” said Dr. Parchamazad
During their trip to France, students will be able to see monuments dating back to the Roman occupation, the Renaissance and the Middle Ages.
Mostly though, students will be there to study the energy issues that exist in France today. Students will also see petrachemical manufacturing and nuclear energy in factories. Students will also get the opportunity to see what everyday life is like in France.
“The use of energy in France is similar obviously, but very different from what is happening here. For instance, France has the largest nuclear energy generating system in the world and it’s much more efficient than ours, it’s much safer than ours and one of the things that he [Dr. Parchamazad] wants to explore with the class is just why [that is],” said Dr. Clark.
Dr. Clark hopes the students participating in the trip “learn about the methodology of science, history and learn a great deal more about energy. [About] different kinds of energy, different sources of energy, the comparative advantages of different sources of energy, the comparative advantages of different kinds of energy, the future of different kinds of energy and the politics of economics of different energy sources.”
Dr. Clark also said that “[Students] will also have the opportunity to make the comparison between two well developed and fully established countries.
Students may also have the option of fulfilling their Core 310, International and Intercultural requirement by signing up for it when signing up for the France trip.
“France is a wonderful country, great food, beautiful countryside, great museums, wonderful historical monuments and all of that will be looked at. Of course we’ll look at it for the energy use but we’ll also see it as cultural treasures.” said Dr. Clark.
During the France trip, students will spend some time in Paris. However, the focus of the trip and the class is actually in Southern France since all of the classes and discussions will take place there.
Dr. Clark also said that students will see a Renaissance chateau in the Noire Valley, look at a medieval cathedral and the temple at Nimes.
The reason for seeing these places is to give the students the opportunity to ask questions about energy use from earlier periods of times to now.
Students who participate in the trip will have housing and meals provided.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity because it combines many things, it combines the opportunity to fulfill a requirement that everyone has to fulfill, with a chance to seeing an entirely different culture in terms of the class. They have such a different view of energy.”
One example dealing with French energy can be noticed by the automobiles that are in that country. The cars there are smaller and the price of gas is $4 to $6 a gallon, as a result it has had an impact on the pollution rate in that country.
For more information on the class students should contact Dr. Clark at ext. 4240 or Dr. Parchamazad at ext. 4608.
