WP2.1: Revision of existing and development of new BSc/MSc courses (M20)

The deliverables include updated and new disciplines clustered in 6 URGENT crosscutting themes, by partner:

P5, National University of Mongolia will develop 1 new subject (Green and blue infrastructure in urban planning, 3ECTS, 35 students/year) for the BSc in Environmental Science, update 1 subject (Horticulture, 3ECTS, 6 students/year) for the BSc in Forestry, develop 1 new subject (Peri-urban green area management, 3ECTS, 5 students/year) for the MSc in Forestry and forest management, develop 2 new subjects (Urban permaculture + NbS based urban development; total 6ECTS, 3 students/year) for the Ph.D. programs in Forestry and Forest Management and in Environmental Science. 4 URGENT themes are covered; 1 new BSc and 2 Ph.D. subjects will be developed with full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

P6, Khovd University will update 2 subjects (Urban Planning + Green Infrastructure; 4ECTS, 12 students/year) for the BSc in Land Management & Planning, develop 3 new subjects (Landscape architecture + GIS Applications in Urban planning + Green and Blue Infrastructure in Urban Planning; 6 ECTS, 6 students/year) for the MSc in Geography, and update 1 subject (Urban Ecology; 2 ECTS, 2 students/year) for MSc in Ecology. 4 URGENT themes are covered; 2 new BSc subjects will be developed with full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

P7, Mongolian University of Life Sciences will develop 2 new subjects (Project and planning of landscape architecture II + Materials of landscape architecture; 12ECTS, 40 students/year) and update 2 subjects (Urban green space planning + Ecology of landscape architecture; 12ECTS, 40 students/year) for the BSc in Landscape Architecture, and develop 2 new subjects for the MSc in Landscape Architecture & Planning (Urban design and planning + Ecology of urban woody plants; 8 ECTS, 10 students/year). 3 URGENT themes are covered; 1 new BSc & 1 MSc subject will be developed with a full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

P11, Jawaharlal Nehru University will develop 1 new (Urban Ecosystems; 3ECTS, 5 students/year) and update 1 subject (Ecosystem Dynamics; 3ECTS, 5 students/year) for the MSc in Environmental Sciences, and develop 1 new (Urban Disasters; 4ECTS, 5 students/year) and update 4 (Ecosystem Approach for Disaster Risk Reduction (Landscape Ecology, Integrative Systems, and NBS, Ecosystem Management) + Remote Sensing & GIS for Emergency Management; 16ECTS, 70 students/year) subjects for the MSc in Disaster Studies. 5 URGENT themes are covered; 2 new subjects will be developed with full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

P12, Nirma University will develop 2 new certificate online courses (Urban Agriculture + Laws, Policies and Guidelines promoting Green and Blue Infrastructure; worth 2 ECTS; 20 students/year) for LLL, develop 1 new subject (GIS for Environmental Design and Sustainable Cities; 3ECTS, 80 students/year), update 1 subject (Landscape Architecture; 3ECTS, 80 students/year) for the BSc in Architecture, update 2 (Infrastructure Planning + Urban Ecology and Landscape Design; 6ECTS, 60 students/year) for the BSc in Planning, develop 2 new subjects (Ecology and Environment + Landscape Urbanism; 4ECTS, 16 students/year) and update 1 subject (Urban Design Studio - Neighbourhood planning & design- Green Area Design and planning; 12ECTS, 8 students/year) for the MSc in Architecture, and develop 1 new subject (Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Services; 2ECTS, 1 student/year) and update 1 subject (Landscape Architecture; 2ECTS, 1 student/year) for the Ph.D. in Architecture.

P13, Pondicherry University will develop 3 new (Geographical Information Systems + Digital Image Processing for Environmental Management + Sustainable Development; 9ECTS, 90 students/year) and update 1 subject (Environmental Informatics and Modelling; 3ECTS, 25 students/year) for the MSc in Environmental Sciences, and develop 1 new (Ecology of Urban Vegetation; 3ECTS, 20 students/year) and update 2 (Landscape Ecology and Urban Planning + Remote Sensing and GIS; 8ECTS, 55 students/year) subjects for the MSc in Ecology. 4 URGENT themes are covered; 2 new subjects will be developed with full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

P14, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & The technology of Kashmir will update 2 subjects (Urban forest management + Urban watershed management and GIS applications; 6ECTS, 80 students/year) for the BSc in Forestry, develop 1 new (Urban ecosystem management and GIS applications; 2ECTS, 20 students/year) and update 1 (Wetland management and GIS applications; 3ECTS, 20 students/year) subjects for the MSc in Forestry, and develop 1 new (Urban forest landscaping and design; 2ECTS, 5 students/year) and update 1 (Urban ecology restoration; 2ECTS, 5 students/year) subjects for the Ph.D. in Forestry. 4 URGENT themes are covered; 1 new MSc and 1 Ph.D. subjects will be developed with full e-suite, including interactive modules, video lectures, case study databases, etc.

WP2.2: Development of Ph.D. research framework (M14)

The deliverables include:

• a framing document outlining issues, problems, discussing the latest international literature and possible directions of relevant Ph.D. research (adhering to the URGENT module structure) to be submitted for approval to PIs’ governance bodies by M10;
• A written shop at P13
• Institutional/departmental agendas on URGENT research by M14;
• at least 10 Ph.D. fellowships allocated by PIs by M10 to explore innovative and multidisciplinary URGENT-related topics and to pursue the joint research agenda.

WP2.3: A Summer school and on-site seminars for faculty and Ph.D. students (M35)

The deliverables include:

• The key training event is an open call international summer school in Tartu (EE) on science, management, and policy of GBI & NBS (by M12). The school faculty will mostly include the faculty from URGENT EU partners and PC experts with international research records or a profound understanding of local issues. Additional funding will be raised for the school in order to deliver a better learning experience (e.g. by hiring external faculty and arranging field trips to various urban locations across the country in order to demonstrate a diversity of issues and solutions). Applications will be submitted to the Estonian Ministry of Science and Education and to the DAAD GoEast program (chances for success are estimated as high ones, especially in the former case). The target audience will be academic faculty and Ph.D. students of PIs (in total, 35 faculty & Ph.D. students). We expect that 20-40% of the class will be made of external self-funded participants responding to the open call; this will strengthen the dissemination effect, in particular internationally. Tartu is chosen among other locations in partner and program countries due to relatively low travel costs comparing to travel MN & IN or from partner countries to any locations in program countries; it also would be the shortest route for the main body of potential participants, as any MN & IN options involve substantial detours via major hubs, while Tallinn and Riga (the closest major airports) have a lot almost straight-line connections with locations in IN and MN. In addition, there is a variety of urban contexts relevant for IN & MN at short travel distances, such as mining areas, see- and the river flooded cities, smart cities, or capital areas, and all those contexts contain good practices of GBI development and management.
• Inception seminars for academic faculty, IT officers, and administrators at P5 & 11 on curriculum development and planning methodology and appropriate governance arrangements for mobility and joint research (jointly with WP1.1)
• short study visits PC=>EU and PC<=>PC in order to get an in-hand understanding of the range of thematic and organisational issues and possible solutions (at least 14 streams; 18 learners).

All the training materials used on the training events will be made available via URBAN learn (see WP3 description).