Can Sweden Help Us Cross The Abyss?

May 9, 2011 - PRLog -- Are we about to face the end of the world as we know it?

Author James G. Speth thinks so. In one of his final passages from The Bridge at the Edge of the World, he writes, “We are rapidly hollowing out nature, ourselves, and our society. Beyond the fork, down either path, is the end of the world as we have known it. One path beyond the fork continues us on our current trajectory…into the abyss. But there is the other path, and it leads to a bridge across the abyss.”

So, if he is right, we will need help to cross that bridge. This is why http://www.GreenDegreeDirectory.com was so excited to hear about Stockholm Resilience Centre’s (RE) new Masters program in Social-Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Development with can be visited at http://www.stockholmresilience.org. We were honored to interview the Program Director, Dr. Miriam Huitric and get her thoughts on the program and its potential to nudge us…over the bridge.

In what capacity are you involved with the Master’s in Social-Ecological Resilience for Sustainable Development program?

I am both the Program Director as well as teach on some of the program’s core courses. This means that I spend a lot of time with our students both in and out of class!

In what ways can students apply this knowledge to the real world?

The program addresses social-ecological systems and their resilience in the context of sustainable development… This is extremely topical in the “real world”!! The program provides insights, based on a linked social- and ecological system, and skills that can be used in a multitude of sectors and fields; from conservation and natural resource management to policy and governance.

What do you expect job growth and salary expectations will look like for graduates of this Master program?

There is increasing interest to address social-environment aspects of sustainable development across sectors. This is quite predictable given the challenges that fall under the sustainable development agenda. Our graduates come well-equipped for this having used and complemented their earlier training and experience in a interdisciplinary setting.

What unique challenges will graduates of your program address in the next decade?

Addressing the functioning of and ultimately the governance of social-ecological systems. The great challenges facing mankind today are set in such systems, as opposed to “ecological” or “economic” or “socio-political” etc. systems.  Social-ecological systems share characteristics of complex adaptive systems, which entail uncertainty at the same time as rapid and important actions are required. Being able to navigate these systems is one of the greatest challenges for the near future.

How can international students pay for this program?

This is a new challenge for our non-EU students, and so for us as well. We encourage applicants to look into national funding sources, e.g. the Fulbright Program, as these are limited here in Sweden at present. Currently applicants can apply for a stipend at the Department of Biology Education covering tuition fees; this is done at the same time as you apply to the program. Some students may be eligible for scholarships provided by Svenska Institutet. We are still exploring other funding avenues and expect more options to arise in the coming years in response to Sweden’s decision to instigate tuition fees.

What scholarships do you offer for students?

The SRC offers 6 scholarships of up to 50, 000SEK per year for its students’ Master’s project time. This is done on a competitive basis but the scholarship is restricted to SRC students.

Read Full Interview at http://www.greendegreedirectory.com/major/sustainability-...

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