Dagmar Möbius

Only nine percent of the applications from all over the world for the programs offered by the Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management (CIPSEM) can be accepted. This is what makes the Central Academic Unit of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at TUD so special.

Since 1977, TU Dresden has been running a postgraduate training program for specialists and managers from both developing and emerging countries who work in the environmental sector. Originally initiated by the United Nations, it is organized and run by the Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management (CIPSEM). To find out about how the program came into being, please also read the Article “In Review”.

All courses are different

There are four courses per year, one of which runs for six-months. The 47^th course is currently running and will end in mid-July 2024. Six-month course (EM47). Geoecologist Dr. Anna Görner has been Managing Director of CIPSEM since 2014 and says: "Every course is different. No two courses are the same." This is also due to the composition of the groups, made up of different personalities with different experiences stemming from various home countries. We know of no other comparable courses in Germany. “The compact continuing education course format in the field of (ecological) sustainability, the way it is implemented and the support that is based on skills, experience and motivation, regardless of the personal financial situation, are unique,” Anna Görner sums up. The number of applications  regularly exceeds capacity: Only nine percent can be accepted.

Not a normal continuing education program

"It is different to a normal continuing education program, and is also not comparable to a Master's program," adds Professor Uta Berger. The scientist has carried out research on the ecology of mangrove forests, but also on land use and protection of Sumatran tigers, fragmentation of the rain forest and effects on the living conditions of orangutans. She has supervised projects dealing with the ecological impact of invasive species on flora and fauna of tropical islands and the risk of extinction of whale sharks. In 2007, she joined CIPSEM as a lecturer on mangrove ecology and computer-aided simulation models for environmental management. She has been the Scientific Director since 2013. She also teaches at the Chair of Forest Biometrics and Systems Analysis at TUD. In 2022, she was awarded the TUD Badge of Honor for her services to CIPSEM.

Dr. André Lindner has been involved in teaching the CIPSEM courses since 2011, initially as a research associate at the Chair of Tropical Forestry. For seven years, he coordinated most of the CIPSEM courses. Since 2020, he has been Executive Manager and International Affairs Advisor at TU Dresden's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and, in this role, has been an ambassador for CIPSEM at many internal and international events. These include official side events at major UN conferences (such as the 2023 UN Water or the 2023 UN SDG Summit).  He says:  "The topics on sustainable development at TUD have developed over decades."

Topics are often uncharted territory

At least twelve months before a new year of courses, we make a start on developing the thematic focus of the courses. Lecturers' experiences are incorporated, as are ideas and suggestions from participants.  "We also ask ourselves what new things we can achieve," reports Anna Görner. "We often break new ground in terms of content.” The topics are coordinated with the German Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment. "The curriculum committee is made up of professors who are leaders in their fields of research," says André Lindner. This makes planning dynamic and allows for new and topical subjects. There is strong demand for topics relating to the management of water resources, biodiversity and renaturation, as well as waste and the circular economy. All course content is continuously being developed, geared more and more towards achieving global sustainability goals and the Agenda 2030, and is focused on nature-based solutions. The current EM47, for example, not only specifically strengthens leadership skills, but also includes gender-specific perspectives on environmental challenges and the climate crisis, as well as empowerment of local communities.

Holistic approach:  There is plenty of room for discussion

"There are great proponents at TUD," Uta Berger enthuses. She considers this appreciation by the university and long-term contracts to be indispensable. "The funding for the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV continuing education program by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection is exceptional," Anna Görner emphasizes. TU Dresden also makes a considerable contribution of its own. About 90 teaching staff are involved in the current 47^th six-month course, more than a third of whom are lecturers of TU Dresden. "Many lecturers like to stay on for the long term, sometimes even after they have retired," Anna Görner explains. "It's a very different way of interacting with each other, everyone contributes specific challenges and there is plenty of room for discussion."

A few specifics apply to the scholarship recipients:  They do not receive student ID cards and are therefore neither students in the traditional sense nor visiting academics for the duration of the courses. This implies some logistical challenges, e.g. when it comes to using TUD's infrastructure or the public transportation system for travel to the various teaching and research locations.

CIPSEM not only provides participants with important professional skills, but also recognizes the importance of fostering personal relationships and a holistic development. It creates a collaborative and supportive learning environment in which important personal relationships can also be built. Participants plan many private activities together. For example, they celebrated the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year in February 2024.

Contact:
TU Dresden
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management (CIPSEM)
Anna Görner, Course Director

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