International MSC programmes for environmental and forestry purposes in Erasmus multilateral projects

Resumen

This paper analyse the organization and development of two different e-learning MSc. programmes regarding to sustainability and protection of natural resources in the frame of the Erasmus multilateral projects. Environment is facing an accelerated climate change as a result of global warming, mainly for human activities, even in remote areas. In the other hand, population has migrated to big cities and consequently has abandoned the rural areas. the promoter of this project, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), among their partners have identified a clear lack of educational provision regarding Climate Change, Degraded Land and Ecotourism, in both educational and non-educational settings. In this context, we have developed two different programmes in order to alleviate these hazards by providing adequate training on Climate Change, Sustainability and Ecological Tourism. The first program: MSc Degree on Management of Sustainable and Ecological Tourism (MEST) is focused in tourism alternatives and natural heritage preservation, trying to combine conservation of nature with socioeconomic development of many local communities. Thus, it establishes a link between local people, tourists and nature. The second program: MSc Programme in Climate Change and Restoration of Degraded Lands (RECLAND) is dedicated to land recover and climate change effects on land and its uses, as well as degradation of soil and vegetation that aggravate the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Thus, three subjects were defined: climate change, degraded land and land restoration.The study of climate change and degraded land, as well as sustainable and ecological tourism, requires innovative techniques in teaching that will be analysed and discussed in this manuscript. UPM and their partners are expertise in developing tailored e-learning programmes and their strengths rely on their ability to adapt ICT solutions to the particular needs of the educators by incorporating the latest developments in communication. These techniques should be integrated among the various project partners, which increase the difficulty of applying homogeneous bases. The two examples of Master Erasmus programmes provide details regarding to the documentation, project management, teaching strategies such as Virtual Learning Platform that contains learning materials in a digital format including text, audio-material, images and video-material, meetings as a tester workshops organized in participating countries, future interaction with the student, etc. The target groups are responsible for: 1) assess proposed MSc modules 2) make recommendations for fine tuning of modules, 3) participate on tester workshops, 4) enrol on pilot MSc course and 5) prepare students for the regional and global postgraduate job market.Finally, the document is intended as an aid to future teachers to detect a lack of training in an area that affects the environment in Europe so they can propose a training program, innovative and high acceptance towards the Graduates of Business and Planning faculties who intend to work in the infrastructure projects, graduates of environmental faculties who intend to specialise in Climate Change, Sustainability and Ecological Tourism managementThis work has been funded by the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), as Erasmus Multilateral Projects through projects number 526746-LLP-1-2012-1-ES-ERASMUS-EMCR and 539517-LLP-1-2013-1-ES-ERASMUS-EKA