The ReSET project “Governance of Global Environmental Change: Towards a multidisciplinary discussion in tertiary environmental education in the former USSR and Mongolia” was organized by the Russian State Hydrometeorological University, the Central European University, and the Earth System Governance Project, along with funding and coordination under the auspices of the Open Society Institute’s Higher Education Support Programme. It spanned June 2011 – August 2014.
Background and Objectives
In the former USSR, universities and research centres tend to have a solid base of expertise in research formulated around a single discipline, while inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary studies are not yet well developed. The ReSET Project is designed to address this pedagogical gap. ReSET Project activities were organized in the Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus around annual Summer Schools, complemented by inter-school sessions, pilot-courses, and by online communication amongst the participants and the faculty.
During the three years of its lifespan, the project achieved and exceeded its goals. Project participants developed strong, interdisciplinary expertise as they increased the quality of their teaching skills in an effort to move towards current international teaching standards. The project also assisted the participants in becoming aware of, and making contact with, a variety of national, regional, and international networks in the field. Regardless of the on-going structural challenges in the former USSR that continue to limit approaches to and organization of teaching and research in the region, it is likely that most project achievements can be sustained thanks to the committed engagement of those who participated in the project.
Co-Directors
- Eduard Podgaisky, Administrative Director (Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Russia)
- Anton Shkaruba, Academic Co‐Director (Central European University, Hungary
- Ruben Zondervan, Academic Co‐Director (Earth System Governance Project; and Lund University, Sweden)
Participants
The 27 selected participants from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are early-career scientists (ranging from advanced Ph.D candidates to associate professors) with substantial teaching obligations and experience.
Contact
For questions, please contact Anton Shkaruba (shkarubaa@ceu.hu)
Publications
- ReSET Project Report 2011-2014: Governance of Global Environmental Change – Towards a multidisciplinary discussion in tertiary environmental education in the former USSR and Mongolia.
- Governance and Management – Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian definitions of the terminology (2011).
Past activities
– 2011 Summer School on Principles and application of environmental governance and governance of global change, 3-16 August 2011, Pskov, Russia
– 2011 Autumn Meeting on Actual Environmental Problems, 10-12 November 2011, Minsk, Belarus
– 2012 Spring Event, Nuclear Governance in a Changing World. Spring School and Chernobyl Visit, 21-27 April 2012, Kiev, Ukraine
– 2012 Summer School on Global Change and Local Challenges of Environmental Governance, 22 july – 4 August 2012, Lviv and Vorokhta, Ukraine
– 2012 Autumn Meeting Rural on areas: management and governance, 24 September – 28 September 2012, Odessa, Ukraine
– 2013 Summer School on Scale in Earth System Governance: Local Case Studies and Global Sustainability, 15 – 29 July 2013, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
– 2013 Winter School on Sustainability Issues Summarised, Categorised and Connected: Transferring research results to learning outcomes, 2 December – 6 December, St. Petersburg, Russia