TRANSFOR success story: International forestry education through exchange

The TRANSFOR (Transatlantic Education for Global Sustainable Forest Sector Development) program has promoted international student and staff exchanges among four Canadian (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Toronto) universities and universities in four European countries (Germany [Freibur...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forestry chronicle 2010-01, Vol.86 (1), p.57-62
Main Authors: Spence, John R, MacLean, David A, Spiecker, Heinrich, Drummond, Alex, Jaeger, Dirk, Stadler, Marianne, Cahalan, Christine, Karlsson, Anders, Kenny, Andy, Larson, Bruce, Mola-Yudego, Blas, Sterner, Maria, Wästerlund, Diane, Valinger, Erik
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
college students
curriculum
education programs
forest ecology
forest management
Forest Science
information exchange
international cooperation
Skogsvetenskap
Transatlantic Education For Global Sustainable Forest Sector Development
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The TRANSFOR (Transatlantic Education for Global Sustainable Forest Sector Development) program has promoted international student and staff exchanges among four Canadian (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Toronto) universities and universities in four European countries (Germany [Freiburg], Finland [Joensuu], Sweden [Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå] and the United Kingdom [Bangor University, Wales]). The program incorporated five components: one or two semester study visits for undergraduate forestry students, working internships, summer field courses, study visits for academic staff, and TRANSFOR project meetings. The summer field courses were a highly innovative part of the program and allowed students to spend three to four weeks learning about forestry activities and challenges on a continent different from that of their home institution. The program fostered internationally focused understanding of forest ecology and management, as well as economic and cultural factors, as will be required to develop effective international standards for sustainable forest management. Most student participants reported that it was a very positive experience and a high point of their education.
ISSN:0015-7546
1499-9315
DOI:10.5558/tfc86057-1