Environmental Governance: University of Freiburg

Graduates will be in a position to reflect critically upon the manifold relationships between humans and the natural environment, as well as the various methods and approaches for a careful handling of natural resources as the basis of feasible development for the future and, where appropriate, enhance them. They can plan, implement and evaluate social negotiation and decision-making processes in a context-sensitive manner, i.e. sensitive to space, structure and culture. The objective is to provide the students with the opportunity to obtain an exceptional education in the field of environmental governance. Upon return to their native countries, the knowledge acquired can be implemented in concrete actions, exercised from central positions.

The MEG Programme was established in 2005 to train leaders at academic level to reconcile different social perspectives with regard to the sustainable use of environmental resources as a basis for sustainable development, leaders with innovative ideas about environmental governance arrangements beyond the traditional functional, structural and territorial boundaries (sustainability designers) and leaders who embrace and understand these ideas, and are capable of finding ways to implement them in organisations, enterprises and governments in a context-sensitive manner (sustainability facilitators)

Students acquire knowledge, methods and skills which help them understand and manage the highly complex, dynamic and often non-linear interactions between ecosystems, economic sectors and societies.

The study programme comprises:

1. The development of a sound knowledge basis of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet and their underlying social causes
2. The comparative discussion of different analytical frameworks from social, economic and political science perspectives.
3. The provision of methodological knowledge and skills for the context sensitive design and management of the environmental governance process.

The programme does not limit itself to a special regional context, but focuses on environmental governance processes in a representative worldwide perspective from the local to the international level.