Expanding capacities, libraries and visibility in higher education on European forests and their environment

PI:  Jean-Daniel Bontemps ( UMR 1092 Laboratoire d’Etude des Ressources Forêt-Bois)

Labex partners: UMR 1137 Ecologie Ecophysiologie Forestières

Collaborations: Daniel Epron (UMR 1137 EEF), David Gasparotto (Centre de Documentation, AgroParisTech)

Context — Forests and their ENvironment (FEN) is a new international masters major within FAGE (launched in September 2013), a joint training program at the Université de Lorraine and AgroParisTech offered in English. It aims to support fifteen students in their studies aimed to understand the organization, functioning and dynamics of temperate forest ecosystems and develop quantitative tools for their sustainable management in a context of global environmental changes. The objective is to prepare these students for 1) scientific careers in research institutions leading programs in forest ecology and management, 2) professional careers in R&D or expert positions in fields such as environmental diagnosis and management of forest ecosystems, in private or public national or international institutions.

Objectives — To promote international/national identity and recognition of FEN as a leading and attractive higher education program concentrated on forest ecosystems. To expand and promote to students both virtual and physical libraries rich in international scientific content at the University of Lorraine and AgroParisTech.

Approaches — The project includes two actions. A first action is to support a) invited lecturers from research  and higher education institutions abroad or from those in France, and b) student field trips to field test sites or forests to illustrate conceptual developments. A second action is to support the development of scientific title series and periodic journals in English, as well as their promotion among students.

Expected results and impacts —

Recognition of FEN among higher education institutions and the greater research community in fields such as forest ecology, genetics, modelling and economics. Promotion of FEN among student communities as an original, attractive and stimulating educational program.