Programmes
Soils and Global Change
Master (2 years) of Science in Soils and Global Change, 120 ECTS
Agriculture and environment| Institution | Aarhus University (AU) |
| Campus | Aarhus |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Tuition per term (Non-EU/EAA/CH) | 9000 EUR |
| Tuition per term (EU/EAA/CH) | 4500 EUR |
| Erasmus | Yes |
| Website | masters.au.dk/soilsandglobalchange |
The Erasmus Mundus International Master’s in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO) offers you a unique international educational experience with a focused curriculum on soils and global change by bringing together the expertise of research groups at four renowned EU universities. The programme has been granted the EU’s prestigious Erasmus Mundus label. It is offered jointly by Ghent University (Belgium), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), University of Göttingen (Germany), and Aarhus University (Denmark).
GLOBAL CHANGE AFFECTS THE FUTURE CAPACITY OF SOIL
Increasing population pressure, industrialisation and intensive land use are causing depletion of natural resources and are limiting the performance of land with respect to functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration and water purification. The cumulative effects of climate change and the abovementioned aspects of global change influence the capacity of soils to regenerate and may even cause soil degradation.
The future capacity of soils to support (human) life is at stake, as recognised by national and international organisations and governmental bodies, such as the EU. Programmes have been developed to protect the environment and to increase ecosystem resilience. Numerous directives have been developed and implemented that build on scientific knowledge about soil response to external pressures.
This scientific knowledge is available in European universities but rather dispersed due to the specialisation and size of the relevant research groups. In the past, this has made it difficult for students to follow a focused curriculum on soils and global change at any individual university.
The alarming effects of global change on soils observed throughout the world emphasize the need to train more personnel worldwide to understand how soils react to global change and to develop prevention and remediation strategies and increase soil resilience. The participating universities in IMSOGLO are very well equipped to give effective and targeted training on soil interactions with global change to an international audience of students.
GLOBAL CHANGE AFFECTS THE FUTURE CAPACITY OF SOIL
Increasing population pressure, industrialisation and intensive land use are causing depletion of natural resources and are limiting the performance of land with respect to functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration and water purification. The cumulative effects of climate change and the abovementioned aspects of global change influence the capacity of soils to regenerate and may even cause soil degradation.
The future capacity of soils to support (human) life is at stake, as recognised by national and international organisations and governmental bodies, such as the EU. Programmes have been developed to protect the environment and to increase ecosystem resilience. Numerous directives have been developed and implemented that build on scientific knowledge about soil response to external pressures.
This scientific knowledge is available in European universities but rather dispersed due to the specialisation and size of the relevant research groups. In the past, this has made it difficult for students to follow a focused curriculum on soils and global change at any individual university.
The alarming effects of global change on soils observed throughout the world emphasize the need to train more personnel worldwide to understand how soils react to global change and to develop prevention and remediation strategies and increase soil resilience. The participating universities in IMSOGLO are very well equipped to give effective and targeted training on soil interactions with global change to an international audience of students.
