The project "Future Environmentalists - Linking EU Natural Capital Management to the Field Research" № 2018 - 1- BG01 - KA203-047962 is funded by the Erasmus + Program of the European Commission, Key Action 2: Strategic Partnership. The project has the aim to develop an innovative educational toolkit which will combining best practice resources in research fieldwork, data treatment and data usage in environmental management and advocacy. The toolkit will have online access and will be developed and applied at the partner universities in Sofia, Thessaloniki and Prague through face-to-face lectures, fieldwork student trips, webinars and multiplier events. The project is implemented in partnership between the Association of Parks in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, Thessaloniki University “Aristotel”, Greece, and the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic.
The project addresses innovation in higher education through an approach of a partnership aiming to cross the gaps between theory, research data and practical management in environmental sciences (biology, forestry and related natural sciences).
Through the project a strong partnerships between universities, businesses and public bodies in environmental management, and environmental advocacy NGOs will be built and maintained, with a view to promote lifelong learning of the target students and staff of these institutions and to improve the quality and effectiveness of the project and future learning and mobility experiences.
Programme composition:
- The project aims to create an innovative education toolkit combining best practice resources in research fieldwork, data treatment, data usage in environmental management and advocacy, to be available via open online access for transnational public use in EU education. The toolkit will include more than 100 training materials (lectures, videos, presentations, etc.) with useful information and best practice from Bulgaria, Greece and the Czech Republic.It is a useful tool for distant online learning for students, specialized in natural science, university teachers, institutions and organizations, engaged in environmental sectors and etc.
- Student Programme "Future environmentalists" - the professional training is free of charge and will take place during the school year (outside regular school sessions) over a period of two years. It is opened for current and former students, PhD graduates and young researchers interested in environmental protection from the three countries and will help them to link academic studies to practice. The program will enroll 60 students (30 students per country). Some of the main topics covered by the program are: European and national environmental legislation, monitoring and implementation, investigation on real environmental case studies, improvement of field research skills and personal leadership skills in communication and advocacy for nature conservation. The program will include 12 webinars, face-to-face lectures, practical field assignments, online and offline discussions.
- Organization of career fairs in each of the partner countries. There students will have a chance to meet with representatives from leading environmental organizations, companies and institutions, thus increasing their chances for a career in the field of environmental conservation.
- One week field trip, where the enrolled students from Future Environmentalists student programme will also have the opportunity to put into practice the lessons learned during the course to improve their field research skills,collecting and entering scientific information, etc.
Length of the project: October 2018 – May 2021
The project is worth: EUR 122 840
After completion, all participants will receive a certificate.
The European Commission support for the production of this project does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.