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New courses: The Outlaw Ocean & Oceans x Design

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Interested in new ocean coursework at Stanford? Check out these two upcoming spring courses: The Outlaw Ocean (in collaboration with Stanford Law School) and Oceans x Design (in collaboration with the d.school):

The Outlaw Ocean

Inspired by New York Times' investigative reporter Ian Urbina's book "The Outlaw Ocean," this policy lab confronts the global environmental, human rights and privacy challenges associated with the existing framework of international laws and policies. The research delves into international laws that apply to the high seas, illegal fishing and forced labor and slavery to locate leverage points and explore innovative solutions, including how new technologies might be developed and deployed. The research contributes to a pilot project -- The Friends of Ocean Action - led by World Economic Forum leaders who are exploring the nexus of international laws and policies, together with national implementation and enforcement mechanisms, related to governance of the oceans.

The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions serves as the policy client and will connect students with such partners as UN-sanctioned working groups, large seafood companies, and human rights and environmental NGOs. Students will produce policy briefs that will contribute to a comprehensive public report by the Center for Ocean Solutions. The Practicum will target using forums such as the upcoming UN Ocean Conference and UN Ocean Day as a platform to share student results. The practicum seeks law students and graduate and well-qualified undergraduates in such programs as earth systems, computer science, product design, public policy, sociology, and marine biology.

Course instructors: Jim LeapeJanet MartinezAnnie BrettKevin Chand

Course: LAW 807K

Learn more here >

Oceans x Design

Oceans by Design is an experiential course developed to apply human-centered design thinking to ocean solutions that combat illegal fishing, manage marine protected areas, enable small scale fishers, and support ocean researchers. In this class, students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to develop design questions, identify users, interview experts and stakeholders, and prototype and test ideas. Class activities and themes range from empathy interviews and designing for inclusivity for subsistence fishers to prototyping policy and simulating high seas treaty negotiations at the United Nations.

In addition, students will participate in activities focused on understanding emerging technologies such as machine learning and virtual reality. At the end of the course, student teams will present their ideas that support research priorities at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions to the class, partners, and potential users.

Course instructors: Kevin ChandEric HartgeErika Woolsey, Nadia Gathers

Course: DESINT 250

Apply by Friday, March 6.

Learn more here > 

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