Postgraduate Scholarsip in Japan (UNU-ISP)

CECAR 2011 Spring courses
28 February to 25 March 2011 (Four weeks)
Postgraduate Courses on Building Resilience to Climate Change
UNU-ISP invites applications for the new intensive 4-week postgraduate programme on Building Resilience to Climate Change.

The United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP), Tokyo, invites applications for the new intensive 4-week postgraduate programme on Building Resilience to Climate Change, developed under the framework of the University Network for Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research (UN-CECAR). UN-CECAR is a collaborative initiative of more than 20 leading universities across Asia, committed to develop post graduate educational and research programmes on climate and ecosystems change, adaptation and sustainability science. UNU-ISP acts as the UN-CECAR Secretariat.
The new courses, which will be conducted at UNU-ISP, will cover a range of issues on sustainability and adaptation to climate and ecosystems change. Topics include climate and atmospheric science, impacts assessment, climate and society, ecosystems resilience, risk and uncertainty, integrated solutions for mitigation and adaptation, mainstreaming adaptation into development planning and community-based adaptation. Students also will receive practical training in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and in down-scaling rainfall forecasts.
Assessment will be based on a research paper, presentations, preparation for and participation in classes, and intermediate tests. The courses are practically-oriented and will be taught by highly qualified and diverse team of natural and social science scholars.
Target applicants:
* Students who are currently enrolled in a masters or Ph.D. programme, in any discipline, and
* who wish to deepen their knowledge on, and gain practical training in, building resilience to climate and ecosystems change, and
* who desire a future career as a climate change specialists.
Course Information
The programme runs for four weeks from 28 February to 25 March 2011. It is open to students who are currently enrolled in a university postgraduate programme and who have already identified their thesis topic prior to arriving in Japan; and young professionals with a university degree in various occupations in Japan and abroad.
Course 1 focuses on Science, Impacts and Vulnerability, and Course 2 focuses on Approaches to Adaptation. Students will also be provided training on geographic and climate models and software. Sufficient time will be allocated for students to also complete their research paper. A requirement for the research paper is that students must link their thesis topic to climate change.
Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded a certificate of completion and a transcript from UNU-ISP. Each course is designed to be worth 2 credits and comprises of 30 hours of teaching time. While a number of universities have negotiated credit transfer agreements with UNU-ISP, ultimately the decision on whether credits are transferrable will be made by the student’s university. Please note that the topics listed below may be subject to change.
Info detil : http://isp.unu.edu/grad/certificate/cecar/index.html