It was in early 2021 when I was invited by the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment to develop an elective module for their MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management. It was not easy, as I could not find any previous module in academic institutions on transboundary conservation to use as a model. I made it as a policy-oriented module, inviting 4 amazing speakers to share their experiences with students.
Given the positive feedbacks from the first year, the University decided to offer the course for the second year in 2022 during six weeks. This year, I invited 4 new speakers with a diverse background and experience such as working in trans-frontier parks in southern Africa to water basin management from the perspective of international relations. Also, we will hear about trending topics such as marine conservation and rewilding from the lens of transboundary cooperation. I am grateful to all these speakers for sharing their time and expertise and hope our new graduate students enjoy interacting with them.
- Session 1: Transboundary conservation: background, challenges, and opportunities (Mohammad Farhadinia)
- Session 2: Political economy of water resources in transboundary regions (Hussam Hussein)
- Session 3: Experiences from the frontline: transboundary conservation in southern Africa (Godfrey Mtare)
- Session 4: Rewilding across the borders: an example of EU’s Life Lynx project in Europe (Miha Krofel)
- Session 5: Geopolitics and marine conservation: synergies and conflicts (Peter Charles Mackelworth)
- Session 6: Future directions in transboundary conservation (Mohammad Farhadinia)
Humpback Whale. Credit: Christopher Michel