Climate Changes : from physics to human societies Erasmus Project

Project Title

Climate Changes : from physics to human societies

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Man-made climate change and its global impacts are a challenge for the 21st century. Events such as United Nations Climate Conference, COP 21/22/23, have demonstrated that these questions are a major concern for the global society.
The climate system is physically complex. Informing actions about climate change and mitigation/adaptation requires fundamental knowledge of system dynamics, past climate changes, and a critical understanding of climate models.
The various stakeholders –decision-makers of global policy, the international research community, and intergovernmental & non-governmental organizations– are in demand of skilled young professionals with up-to-date and accurate knowledge on these aspects.
The objectives of this Erasmus + project is to create a network of high education institutions involved in climate sciences and impact studies to address this demand. The network will focus its effort to provide high level knowledge activities/training in climate sciences with inclusion of social sciences in the context of the Mediterranean area.
The CLIMAST project is jointly proposed by three universities – Aix-Marseille University (project coordinator), Universitat de Barcelona and Universita del Salento (partners). The consortium takes advantage on its high-level research and outreach in climate sciences on past, present and future climate evolution focused on the Mediterranean context. The project will concern master graduate students in earth and environmental sciences, geology, physics, physical geography from the partners universities and participants from the professional world (academics from different disciplines, socio-economic partners, association in charge with climate policy/negotiation). The attendance of the activities will provide the students a diploma supplement. At the end of project, the proposed activities could be the base for a curricula proposition of each institution as a common module.
The project’s aim is to develop two aspects that will reinforce high education in climate science at European level and also promote transversal skills necessary for the future student’s professional careers. The first activity will propose new methodologies to refine and focus students and researchers background in climate sciences exposing them to different working context to maximise their competencies (access to state-of-the art analytical facilities and model tools in world-class European laboratories that area used in climate sciences, use of ICT for practical preparation before activities). The second activity intend to promote interdisciplinarity in order to broaden their knowledge in climate sciences (how to conduct climate negotiation at local, European and international level, learn about climate change perception in the civil society and political spheres, how to communicate on these issues).
This transnational approach will provide several results and outputs. Climate change is a global concern, and student internationalisation is a prerequisite for them to fully grasp the global dimension of this challenge. In addition, they will reinforce their scientific background in an international context using innovative pedagogy. Participants will gain transdisciplinary skills (which are often lacking in the existing educational system) that will optimise dissemination of climate sciences in order to actively contribute to climate policy at local, national and European level. These activities will lead to several Intellectual Outputs in the form of analyses, reports, peer-learning methodologies and a proposition for a new master programme curricula.
This project has a long-term benefit. It will develop engaged professionals in climate sciences able to appropriately face this societal challenge and will have a positive effect on the HEI attractivity. Participants will measure the complex interactions between natural and societal systems providing them with a better understanding of employers’ expectations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203212 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITE D’AIX MARSEILLE & Country: FR

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEL SALENTO
• UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA