At the time of unavoidable and well-documented global change, adaptation has become a key concept in environmental and related social sciences, and also in policy processes on a variety of scales. Many sectors, including forestry, biodiversity conservation, water management, agriculture, infrastructure development (to name a few) need information about the current state and future direction of ecosystem conditions, potential ecosystem-based adaptations, and relevant policies and governance structures enabling such adaptations.
This is a field of research and practice on the boundary of natural, social and policy sciences where ecosystem complexity meets the complexity of social systems. The challenge of such collaborations and policy development require not only navigating through complex issues with high levels of uncertainty in physical and ecological processes, but also accounting for the diversity of potential human choices and decisions of multiple stakeholders.
Trying to address these challenges this summer course is built on the three core objectives:
(1) to facilitate transfer of knowledge on emerging research areas and cross-cutting issues of environmental science;
(2) to build capacity for adequate, efficient and oriented towards the international research community environmental research, based on multidisciplinary approaches and concepts, most recent findings and state-of-art and policy relevant research objectives;
(3) to demonstrate what constitutes a good research in the field, and how it can be communicated to the academic community and translated into policy-relevant conclusions.
Period
27-06-2011 - 09-07-2011 (2 weeks)
Target group
Applications are invited from PhD students and young university teachers / researchers. Undergraduates without a university degree will not be considered. Pre-requisites: Participants considered for the summer school need to meet the following criteria:
- hold positions at a university, research centre, consultancy, a research-oriented NGO or international organisation;
- have an MSc / MA or PhD degree or equivalent and in the case of an MSc / MA at least also two years of research or/and teaching at graduate level or be enrolled in their PhD studies;
- have demonstrable achievements in research or/and curriculum development;
- demonstrate good communication skills.
Course aim
The purpose of this Summer School is to bring together select scholars and students from a variety of relevant academic and professional backgrounds related to ecosystem vulnerability. It is an opportunity for students to meet together and to have an informed but different perspective about the field of their academic inquiry directly from leading researchers and practitioners and from each other. The range of topics will include ecosystem modeling, ecosystem services valuation and spatially explicit assessment, scenario building, adaptive management, ecological economics and institutional aspects of ecosystem adaptation. The course will provide practical learning opportunities for the participants supported by a number of expert-led sessions on theoretical concepts, tools and methods and case studies to demonstrate their relevance for policy-making.
Credits
2.0 ECTS creditsThe "Adaptation and Adaptive Governance of Ecosystems" course offers 2 ECTS points, which may be accepted for credit transfer by the participants' home universities. Those who wish to obtain these credits should inquire about the possible transfer at their home institution prior to their enrollment. The Summer University Office will send a transcript to those who have fulfilled all the necessary course requirements and request one.
Course fee
EUR 0: No tuition fee is charged.
Course leader
Lszl Pintr, CEU, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Budapest, Hungary; Anton Shkaruba, CEU, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Budapest, Hungary
Scholarships
Financial aid is available in the following categories:- tuition waiver- accommodation grant- travel grant (full or partial)
Central European University Summer University
Address: 9 Nador Street
Postal code: 1051
City: Budapest
Country: Hungary
Website: http://www.summer.ceu.hu
E-mail: summeru@ceu.hu
Phone: 361 3273811
Adaptation and Adaptive Governance of Ecosystems
