MMCA – Excellence has many names

Master's programme "Management of Conservation Areas" presents three accompanying committees

In preparation for the master’s programme "Management of Conservation Areas", the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences presents three committees that are supporting the programme: The Scientific Board, the Advisory Board and the "Austrian Experience Pool". "This enables us to cover the entire spectrum between scientific excellence and international implementation practice in protected areas," says Michael Jungmeier, scientific director of the programme. The diverse expertise is intended to provide participants with unique learning experiences.

The Scientific Board shall ensure the excellence of scientific methods and pedagogical approaches. It shall provide access to the latest scientific concepts and theories, to international projects and to research results. The members of the board are invited to contribute to lectures, proposed and supervised master theses and reviews articles in the journal “Proceedings in the Management of Conservation Areas”. The Scientific Board may initiate research projects that are related to the content, to the participants or to the outcomes of the programme. It is chaired by Prof. Dr. Franz Rauch, Institute of Instructional and School Development, University of Klagenfurt (Austria).

The Advisory Board provides an insight into current developments, decisions and guidelines of the relevant international institutions. The members of the board will provide experience and materials on decisions, international best practice examples, conferences and projects of their institutions and share them with students. They can suggest topics for master theses and prepare participants for their future professional work. The Advisory Board is chaired by PhD Andrej Sovinc, European Vice-Chair of the World Commission on Protected Areas (ICUN/WCPA).

The Austrian Experience Pool establishes the connection to the Austrian parks and offers the participants of the master’s programme the opportunity to discuss and analyse best practice examples, model projects, conflicts and problems located in the parks. Students will visit some protected areas and in the best case will find opportunities for seminar papers, master theses and internships. The board is chaired by Mag. Peter Rupitsch, Director of the Hohe Tauern National Park (Carinthia/Austria).

"We are pleased about this substantial support", says Michael Jungmeier. The Advisory Board and the Scientific Board will meet for the first time in October. It is of particular importance to him that the members of the boards meet with students and other interested parties.

The following persons have confirmed their participation in the Scientific Board: Brandon Anthony (Central European University), Clementsen Morten (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), Cliquet An (University of Gent), Getzner Michael (Vienna University of Technology)), Mose Ingo (University of Oldenburg), Price Martin (University of the Highlands and Islands), Stoll-Kleemann Susanne (University of Greifswald) and Svajda Juraj (Matej Bel University).

These persons have already confirmed their participation in the Advisory Board or have been requested to do so: Fechter Jürgen (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, KfW; Credit Institute for Reconstruction), Foucon Naik (Eurosite, inquired), Hasler Viktoria (Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism), Köck Günter (Austrian Academy of Sciences), McCarroll Pinto Rodrigues (Austrian Development Agency, ADA), Pechacek Peter (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, inquired), Plassmann Guido (Alparc), Pypaert Philippe (UNESCO), Ritchie Carol (Europarc Federation) and Salathe Tobias (Ramsar Secretariat, Gland).

The Austrian Experience Pool is an open forum. The first meeting took place on 17 February 2019. The following persons participated or contributed: Böhm Thomas (Regional Management Burgenland), Burgstaller-Gradenegger Freydis (Carinthian Hunting Association), Dax Thomas (Federal Institute for Less Favoured and Mountainous Areas), Ehrenfeldner Johannes (Neusiedler See National Park), Frank Georg (Donau-Auen National Park, Danube Parks), Hartmann Gerald (Geopark Karavanke), Hradetzy Regine (Magistrat Klagenfurt, Dept. of Agriculture), Hradetzy Regine (City Council of Klagenfurt, Department of Nature Conservation), Kau Christian (Carinthian Provincial Government, Department of Nature Conservation), Kleinegger Klaus (Carinthian Provincial Government, Department of Nature Conservation), Knappitsch Eithne (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences), Krainer Klaus (Focal Point Ramsar Carinthia), Mayer Renate ( Agricultural Research and Education Centre HBLFA Raumberg Gumpenstein), Pfiffinger Gerald (Environmental Umbrella Organisation), Rossmann Dietmar (Salzburg Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge Biosphere Reserve), Schmid Brigitta (Natural History Museum Vienna), Schön Bernhard (Upper Austrian Provincial Government, Department Nature Conservation), Stejskal Bernhard (Nature Parks Styria), Unglaub Robert (Bündnis Alpenkonvention “Alpine Convention Alliance”), Wiegele Elisabeth (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences), Wieser Christian (Carinthian State Museum), Zinöcker Manuela (Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Department of Nature Conservation).

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