Polar Hydrology Field Course

Project facts

Project promoter:
University of South Bohemia
Project Number:
CZ07-0091
Target groups
Students and trainees in all forms of higher education level education and training
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€47,962
Final project cost:
€35,984
From Norway Grants:
€ 28,979
The project is carried out in:
Czech Republic

Description

The project is focused on organising common field course in Polar Hydrology directly in the Arctic. This is based on our previous experiences from similar projects and also on this year pilot field course. Students from both countries will share the field experience and work on common projects. Apart that a workshop/conference will be organised in Czech Republic to bring also students from Norway to meet the students here in Czech Republic. Other workshop/conference guests will attend so that the results of the field course will be presented in front of the wide international scientific society. It is believed that this will strongly enforce future cooperation on the level of further student mobilities and also joint research projects.

Summary of project results

We feel that organising the course in close cooperation with our Norwegian partner shift the outcome to a higher level. Apart learning the basic field methods that are used in these extreme environments, students have also oportunity to experience the international cooperation that is becoming almost an essential knowledge in modern science and life in general. Both groups of students also have the chance to see how the education works in different educational systems. This can encourage them to find other possibilities and continue with their university education abroad. All challenges and potential problems were connected to the environment where the course is being organised - safety and health issues. As both partners have longlasting experience in such courses all was well prepared and no important troubles occured. The main objective of the project was to organise common field course and conference in Ceske Budejovice - both achived.This enabled both USB and UNIS students to profit from such international cooperation. Not only students, but instructors have profited from such cooperative approach as well. The conference provided to all students a great opportunity to share their knowledge with students and researchers from other countries and institutions. The longer term goal (enhancing chances in future scientific careers of all participants and to enhance the possibilities of joint educational and scientific activities between the two institutions) seems to have promising outcomes (i.e. preparing further cooperative projects).

Summary of bilateral results

We feel that organising the course in close cooperation with our Norwegian partner shift the outcome to a higher level. Apart learning the basic field methods that are used in these extreme environments, students have also oportunity to experience the international cooperation that is becoming almost an essential knowledge in modern science and life in general. Both groups of students also have the chance to see how the education works in different educational systems. The main objective of the project was to organise common field course and conference in Ceske Budejovice. This enabled both USB and UNIS students to profit from such international cooperation. Both were succeeded. The students participated on the field course, which was the main. Apart that, the conference was organised where students and also instructors participated in. This was important to include especially the young students into the wide scientific society and let them gain experience in presenting their work. Presentations showing the methodology and basic hydrological principles was provided to the students. Conference proceedings with all abstracts was provided to all conference participants. The main benefit of the project was the realisation of field course and organisation of the conference. 10 students and 5 instructors were able to carry out the field work thanks to the funding. Approximately 80 participants attended the conference among them more than 20 Czech students and almost 30 foreign students. Conference proceedings are publicly available.