Phase B: Online course of the 2024-2025 Asterousia Hybrid University

If you are a post graduate student, young researcher, educator, manager or staff working on Biosphere Reserves, and interested in water management & BRs , then, this online course is for you!

Following the successful Summer/Hybrid Universities organized by MIO-ECSDE and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe  for a number of years, the 2024-2025 course takes place once again in a hybrid format and focuses on Integrated Water Management, Draughts and Monitoring within Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas in the Mediterranean.

• The first "live"part (Phase A), was held in and around the Asterousia BR (Crete) between 21 and 25 October 2024. Read more on Phase A here and here 
• This call concerns the second virtual part (Phase B) that will run from 27 January to 16 February 2025. 

 The online course in a nutshell : 

• Duration: Three weeks, starting from 27 January to 16 February 2025 (plus an extra week for completing assignments). 
• Format: It combines asynchronous (self-paced) and synchronous sessions (weekly live meetings, every Friday afternoon).
• Commitment: The total training time for learners is approx. 15 hours (~5 hours/week).
• Participants: The course is targeting primarily post graduate students, young researchers, educators and managers of existing and candidate Biosphere Reserves  and other designated areas, such as Global Geoparks, Ecohydrology sites, World Heritage Properties (WH), Protected Areas (PAs), Natura 2000 sites, etc., globally. Anyone with an interest, study or work on such sites can participate. 
• Class size: Up to aproximately 100 online learners.  
• Language: English.
• Certification: Learners who succesfully complete 80% of the course assignments will get the certificate co-signed by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the UNESCO Chair & Network on Sustainable Development Management and Education in the Mediterranean from the University of Athens.
• Cost: Thanks to the kind contribution of the organizers the course is free of charge for all participants! 

Learning goals - What will learners gain from this course? 

• A better understanding of the Man and the Biosphere Programme and its Biosphere Reserves as beacons of sustainability and ideal places to apply Integrated Resources Management.
• An increased understanding on the global and regional policies for effective integrated water management in Biosphere Reserves and other UNESCO designated sites.
• An increased knowledge of the challenges and threats of water resources today pressed by the climate crisis, especially droughts 
• An overview of current integrated management approaches such as IWRM/ICZM, the Source-to-sea & nexus approaches in water resources management and applications insights
• Case studies highlighting the possible ways to overcome the challenges through application of integrated best practices e.g. Nature based Solutions, non-conventional water resources (NCWRs), small dams and built terraces; etc.
• A better understanding of how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) focusing on Water and Climate Change is applied in various sectors (science, culture and education), ecosystems and disciplines
• Access to a wealth of online resources.
• Networking with people with similar interests and concerns.

The course topics per week:  

• Every week we focus on a “cluster of topics” with a dedicated team of experts. Learners follow the course content on their own pace (asynchronously) and have the chance to interact with the experts and their co-learners in a live (synchronous) session.

  • 1^st Week: 27 January - 2 February 2025, The wide picture & Management Frameworks: The overall context; The UNESCO MAB Programme; Global and regional environmental policies; Biosphere Reserves in the Mediterranean and beyond; The Agenda 2030 and the SDGs; The climate & water crisis in the Mediterranean, etc.
  • 2^nd Week: 3-9 February 2025, Case studies, dealing with the challenges: Integrated Management (IMF); Retention and Detention approaches; Response to challenges (e.g. drought, Non-Conventional Water Resources, Monitoring tools)
  • 3^rd Week: 10-16 February 2025: Education, Awareness, Outreach: Case studies and materials on bridging Science-and Policy; Effective communication; stakeholders’ engagement; Citizen Science; Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on Water/NCWR, and Climate Change.
  • Extra Week: 17-23 February 2025: 7 days available to complete all assignments and tasks. 

Format of learning content: 

Asynchronous content: 

• Video lectures from experts invited 
• Recordings from Phase A (Crete, October 2024)
• Existing online videos and documentaries 
• Readings: Online toolkits, Guidelines, ppts, etc. 

Synchronous content: 

• Three live 1.5 hr "meet the expert" sessions where the participants can discuss with the experts on their lectures. These sessions are held via Zoom, every Friday, 14.00-15.30 (CET), and are then uploaded on YouTube, to be available to those who missed them. 

Co-organizers 

• UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe 
• Region of Crete
• Heraclion Development Agency
• Association for the Protection of Asterousia
• The Local Management Committee of Asterousia 
• The Greek National Committee of the MAB/UNESCO Programme
• UNESCO Chair and Network on Sustainable Development Management and Education at the University of Athens (UoA)
• Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) through the MEdIES initiative
• Romanian Science UNESCO network

Secretariat

Email: info@medies.net
W: www.medies.net