6 ECTS credits
155 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4021321ENR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
After preparation in Belgium (assignments will be notified), a fieldwork area and foreign venue stay in a developing country or partner country will be visited.
The preparation to the field and foreign venue stay entails that participants can report about it to fellow students and lecturers / organisers before departure.
In order to bridge theory and academic training on the one hand to practice and feasibility on the other, this preparation must comprise (a) a state of the art in the scientific domain (the topic), (b) specific data or, on the contrary, identification of knowledge gaps in the research area or research data available, (c) the wider (possibly international) policy and governance context, (d) the socio-ecological system. Each of these will be determined by the specific destination and/or scientific and management problem.
Information will be obtained from scientific peer-review literature, but also on basis of grey literature and local ecological knowledge. Participants will experience the practical constraints of research or research application in a real-world context of the selected destination
The awareness that sample and data collection, training, research in the field must be motivated and sustainable with respect to the environment (no large scale, pointless sample collection, planning destructive or non-destructive observation, respecting animal welfare), with respect to actors and stakeholders, such as local communities, is part of the outcome in terms of participant or researcher attitude. The context is within local, national or international legislation and rules.
Reporting and communication to an audience of academics, peers, policy makers as well as a lay audience via appropriate media will be amongst the skills of successful participants.
The course is compulsory to ICP-scholars of VLIR-UOS in the MSc programme Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management. A limited number of other participants can join on basis of availability in agreement with the titular responsibles (lecturers).
Good health and some endurance are required, this entails work in a warm (tropical) environment, with a multicultural and demanding non-academic setting.
Course work can take place beyond normal working hours, according to need, and during official Belgian or local holidays.
Costs for participation in the course depend on destination and year. Indicative is 2500 € (airplane ticket, accommodation).
Study material
Presentations, figures (ppt/pdf) will be available through the learning platform Canvas, articles and documents as pdf or via references on the same platform.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the first year courses (within the MSc Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management), specifically ‘Governance and policy in development and cooperation I’ are required. If this has proven impossible, the titular lecturers must be consulted.
This course contributes to most learning outcomes of the MSc Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management.
The course is part of the university development cooperation objectives of the MSc programme Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management. Students are taught to apply their expertise beyond the boundaries of their discipline and in a societally relevant context. It comprises elements of theory and practice in a developing country (max. 12 days), with individual and group assignments. Lecturers and experts from the professional sector in various fields, amongst whom alumni of the MSc programme, contribute. Expertise from academia (research), governance and policy or NGO may be integrated. After preparatory work in Belgium, the course is taught in a developing country.
A student who has successfully completed this course can connect a scientific question with either a global or a specific development-related aspect with the reality of a developing country or a partner country. The course has offered him or her the tools to develop a pragmatic approach, in cooperation or in dialogue with various stakeholders, in policy making, in governance or in society.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
The score is determined by: (1) the preparatory work, as evidenced by documents submitted and presentations, (2) level and quality of participation, (3) individual and group-wise reporting. Evaluation is by peer assessment and by the lecturer and expert team. Every element (preparation / participation / reporting must each be at a level of > 8/20 to compute a final score and as a condition to be sufficient).
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management: Standaard traject