A Global Diversity Fund Biocultural Diversity Learning Network short course
for researchers and students from Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Course overview
This course will cover contemporary issues and current methods in ethnobiology and ethnoecology, and will introduce new approaches to studying these emerging fields. The training will be conducted by Dr. Füsun Ertuğ (Turkey), Dr. Gary Martin (Global Diversity Fund and University of Kent), Dr. Rajandra Puri (University of Kent), and Dr. Çağan Şekercioğlu (KuzeyDoga Society and Stanford University).
The course will weave together various approaches to understanding how local ecological knowledge and practice are evolving over time. We will address in particular various global trends that are having a local impact, such as market integration, migration and urbanisation. We will explore how to interact with local communities that are in rapid transition, helping them to draw upon their cultural and biological diversity to adapt to a changing world.
The content and organisation of this course will take into account the participants’ specific interest in subjects such as agrobiodiversity, ecotourism, and traditional ecological knowledge. For this reason, the course schedule is tentative and will be changed according to the specific interests and learning pace of the whole group.
The course will take place between Tuesday September 14 and Monday September 20, 2010. The participants need to arrive in Kars on September 13. Transportation to Kars, room, board, and other local course expenses will be covered by the course organizers. There are a limited number of spaces available and participants will be chosen through a competitive application process.
We are particularly keen to attract participants who are engaged in current applied research on community use and management of plant resources, cultural landscapes or other projects related to ethnoecology in Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The course will be held in English, without translation, so fluency in English is an essential requirement. After a written evaluation process, candidates will be interviewed in English by Dr. Gary Martin. Successful applicants need to have an undergraduate degree in a field related to ethnobotany/ethnobiology/ethnoecology, or at least be in their final year of study. Postgraduate students are especially welcome to apply.
Interested applicants should send a C.V., name and contact information of three references (include email and telephone), and a cover letter explaining how they will benefit from this course. Please send all application materials in a single email to:
Önder Cırık ( onder@kuzeydoga.org)
The application deadline is August 15, 2010 and successful applicants will be notified by September 1, 2010.
For more information please visit
http://www.kuzeydoga.org/index.php/archive/162-ethnobotany