International MSc Educational Programme in Environmental Management and Modelling

The main objective of this project is to create a sustainable capacity building programme in environmental management and modelling, and to improve the quality and accessibility of higher education in Iran and Iraq.Geographical information systems (GIS, remote sensing (RS) are key techniques to be included in the thirteen courses to be developed and implemented, and eLearning is the form of the courses.eLearning courses based on identified needs and the labour market will benefit society in terms of accessibility and quality. The management of higher education will improve through the development and use of student-teacher-admin communication and reporting tools. Our consortium of 8 university partners builds on extensive experience and continuing cooperation. However, 3 out of 4 non-EU partners have not previously received EU capacity building support.Iran and Iraq are countries where our consortium can make a significant impact, by enhancing political, cultural, educational, and economic links between the EU and the region, as well as by disseminating EU social and democratic values. This partnership is uniquely positioned to maximize the opportunities for, and delivery of, successful capacity building. The specific objective of the project is to improve the level of competences and skills of HEIs in the region by developing, adapting, and delivering state of the art eLearning courses focusing on environmental modelling and climate change/food security. The extensive alumni and contact network of our partners ensures that the demand for, and relevance and quality of, graduates and courses will be properly evaluated. Staff training will be part of course development, including skills in geo-information science and earth observation, providing added value in finding solutions to climate change and food security challenges.The course material to be developed will build upon existing courses used by the EU-partners, modified to meet the requirements (academically as well as pedagogically) of the Partner Countries. An additional output of the project will be 13 highly relevant courses/modules (all together 112.5 ECTS) to be used by the project partners.