ECOS – ecology and society

ECOS is an arena research school that aims to offer multidisciplinary educational activities of the highest quality, overall knowledge and insights in sustainable management of natural resources, emphasizing multidisciplinary perspectives. Key aspects of ECOS is the concept of human dimensions of natural resource use.

Aim and objective

We reach our aim by offering courses, seminars and workshops based on an interdisciplinary approach, where the human dimension of natural resource use is in focus. The courses offered in the research school form a common multidisciplinary arena between economics, ecology and policy. The program is creating a broad research environment emphasizing interdisciplinary collaborations within SLU, and with the surrounding society. ECOS intends to facilitate connections between existing as well as new PhD students. ECOS PhD-students use disciplinary courses from SLU and other research schools to receive within subject in-depth knowledge in e.g. ecology, and economy. ECOS allows for students to be admitted continually given our with predictable, repetitive schedule.

A key aspect is the interface between society and science. We manifested this as common thread in courses, in workshop, in career planning activities, and in the programs steering group.
We judge that an arena research school based on interdisciplinary like ECOS, add value to the Faculty of Forestry, attract students, foster collaboration among students, staff and departments at SLU, and is a novel approach befitting the wider society.

Target group and its approximate extent

The research school is an umbrella organization- a common arena, targeting SLU affiliated PhD students, post docs and researchers within the multidisciplinary field of human dimensions e.g. economics, ecology, or related fields. In-depth knowledge about e.g. their dissertation topic they receive from narrow, more disciplinary courses in adjacent SLU research schools. A key signature is that ECOS target to involve as many SLU-PhD students from other departments at SLU as possibly, and secondary PhD students from other universities in Sweden or abroad are welcome to apply for activities provided by the school.

Being an arena school, we expect our students to use courses in the research schools at NJ- and LTV faculties, e.g. the more disciplinary research school in ecology or in economy. Affiliated students in ECOS will also have contact with PhD students within CERE (Centre for Environmental and Resource Economics).

The research school has a steering committee consisting of, appart from the coordinators, Camilla Widmark (Forest Economics) (chair), Bengt Kriström (Forest Economics), two representatives from the PhD students (one for each department) as well as two representatives from outside the university (to be determined).

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