The Russian State Hydrometeorological University, in cooperation with the Central European University and the Earth System Governance Project are pleased to announce a series of regional seminars on “Governance of Global Environmental Change: Towards a Multidisciplinary Discussion in Tertiary Environmental Education” to take place 2011‐2014 under the auspices of the Open Society Institute’s Higher Education Support program (RESET).
We are now inviting applications from eligible candidates. Deadline for applications is 16 April 2011.
Background and Objectives
It is typical for the region of the former USSR and Mongolia that universities and research centers have good expertise in mono‐disciplinary research, while multi‐ and transdisciplinary studies, including environmental sciences, are not developed. The subject area of the project is environmental governance. Parallel to the development of this subject area, the project will address the quality of teaching towards international standards while taking into account existing content, teaching methodology and cultural and historic characteristics of the region. Main anticipated outcomes of the project include: improved understanding of the need for multidisciplinary, innovative teaching in the environmental field among junior faculty in the region; sustainable strengthened inclusion of junior faculty in the region into international and regional networks; improved curricula through identification and explanation of deficiencies and flaws; more interactive, reflective methods of teaching which encourage multidisiplinary and critical thinking of teachers and students; improved expertise in multidisciplinary environmental science.
The general structure
The project participants will be selected on a competitive basis and shall be committed to contribute to the project for the entire project duration (2011‐2014). The project activities will be organised around annual summer schools (the first school will be organised in Pskov, Russia in August 2011). The summer schools will be followed by interschool sessions (e.g. 3 interschool sessions are planned for the project year 2011‐2012), by other contact sessions, and also by online communications between the participants, and between the resource faculty and the participants.
Schedule for the first year
- 14 March – 16 April 2011: Application period
- 15 May 2011: Notification of acceptance / rejection to applicants
- 2 – 16 August 2011: First Summer School, Pskov, Russia October 2011: First interschool contact session, Kharkiv, Ukraine
- March 2012: Second interschool contact session, Krasnoyarsk, Russia (preliminary)
- April 2012: Third interschool contact session, location to be determined depending on the geographical distribution of the project participants
Convenors
- Eduard Podgaisky, Administrative Director and Manager of the project (Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Russia)
- Anton Shkaruba, Academic Co‐Director of the project (Central European University, Hungary)
- Ruben Zondervan, Academic Co‐Director of the project (Earth System Governance Project; and Lund University, Sweden)
Core Resource Faculty
- Katharine Farrell, Lecturer, Alexander von Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
- Matthijs Hisschemöller, Associate Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Rem Khlebopros, Professor, Siberian Federal University, Russia
- Marc Metzger, Senior Researcher, Lecturer, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Hans‐Peter Nachtnebel, Professor, Universität für Bodenkultur, Austria
- Felix Stolberg, Professor, Kharkiv National Academy of Municipal Economy, Ukraine
Eligibility
- The project address young academic faculty; no specific age limits are set, however it should be reasonable, e.g. well under 40.
- Candidates should be residents of and affiliated with institutes in one of the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
- Candidates should hold PhD degree or an MA, MSc/specialist degree and at least 2 years of teaching experience. PhD students in the final stages of their theses and preparing for taking teaching positions at universities will be considered as well.
- Candidates should have experience in relevant research and teaching and come from disciplines like (not exclusive list): Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering, Geography, Ecology, Forestry, Physical Planning, Environmental Economics.
- Candidates should be fluent in English (both in writing and speaking).
- Candidates with interest (potential or demonstrated) in international cooperation, development of new courses, and interdisciplinary aspects of environmental studies will be given priority.
Application Procedure
By April 16, the closing dates of the application period, candidates need to submit an application package including:
- Completed application form Curriculum Vitae (including education, work /teaching experience, publications, professional affiliations and assignments, and all other relevant information) with full contact information for two referees
- Motivation Letter (one page only) Brief summaries of the courses you teach or want to teach (300‐700 characters for each course)
All documents need to be in English language. All applications should be submitted electronically to reset.appl@mespom.eu.The convenors will assess the application packages and will conduct phone / skype interviews with shortlisted candidates. Applicants will be notified about the outcome of the selection process by May 16, 2011.
Various
As a matter of general policy, travel, accommodation, and other associated direct costs of the project participants will be covered from the project budget. However, the applicants are also advised to explore other funding opportunities to cover their costs. The project provides no other forms of compensation to the participants.
For more information, as well as a detailled project description and the application form see http://reset.qualimet.net/. For more on the ReSET Programme see: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp/focus/reset/grants/reset_seminar. For questions, please contact Anton Shkaruba (shkarubaa@ceu.hu)
