OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of the course is to familiarise students with the suit of methods that cutting-edge researchers use to study social-ecological systems. Students will gain a basic understanding of systems theory, resilience, ecosystem services assessments, networks, modelling tools, mapping tools, participatory tools for co-production of knowledge. At the end of the course each student will share with the class a short presentation of their projects and their methods of choice.

 

BACKGROUND:

There are few training courses around the world preparing students to study coupled social-ecological systems. Students often need to navigate social and ecological data in a structured way; it requires an interdisciplinary mindset able to cope with the diversity of ontologies and epistemologies inherited in each disciplinary science. Methods are here presented as boundary objects that allows the exploration of the natural and social world, but also the rigorous exercise of knowledge generation in a transdisciplinary setting. We focus on the limitations of making science in a developing country context. Students will be exposed to a suit of methods that are commonly used to study social-ecological systems. The course consist of 8 modules of 2hrs each where a researcher expert on a method will share how the method serves to answers SES research questions, present case studies and provide further resources for the interested student to follow up.

DESIRED PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS:

Graduate students and junior postdocs interested on expanding their scientific toolkit and with an interest of applying them to SES questions in a developing context.