SUMmer school on European iSland LANDscape (SUMESLAND)

OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this project is to develop a multinational outstanding summer school on European island landscape and cultural heritage, and to disseminate to students the methodology carried out by the ESLAND Project funded by the EC Culture Programme. The course will facilitate cooperation and mobility between European universities who are dealing with this emerging research field, improving both know-how and exchange of educational practices and programmes. This pioneer course therefore will tackle landscape theory, e-tools and information system technologies, as well as debating issues concerned with teaching content and new curricula approaches. It will in this way support the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, which requests member states to design educational programmes and courses on landscape. TARGET GROUPS are students in landscape studies and related subjects. PhD students are the main target, but exceptional Master students in their final year could also be considered. MAIN ACTIVITIES: A) Intense cooperation between lecturers of the institutions involved will precede the summer school, leading to setting up a detailed programme. B) Particular attention will be given to organisation and logistics. C) The ten-day course will be composed of lectures, discussions, workshops, teamwork and field trips. D) The interdisciplinary theoretical approach will be enriched by indoor and outdoor interactive activities with the students. E) The lecturers in charge will debate innovative teaching and curricula approaches emerging from SUMESLAND, and will prepare a report that will be useful for other tutors in the subject. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Exchange of know-how and teaching approaches. Innovative teaching & learning landscape methods. Interchange of teaching best practices in landscape. Improved academic performance. E-tools and GIS mapping skills. Enhancing possibilities for students and lecturers to meet and cooperate in new studies on European island landscapes that would not be possible otherwise, covering: island landscape history, characterization, identity and scenario. EXPECTED OUTPUTS: SUMESLAND Summer School website. Course programme with teaching & learning activities. Course and field trip material. Island landscape history methodology. Island landscape identity interactive workshop. Island landscape character mapping. Island landscape scenarios visualisation. INNOVATION Students and lecturers will be encouraged to consider European island landscapes from the point of view of cultural heritage, by looking at the unique identity and values these landscapes have for the people of Europe (landscape identity), by describing island landscape evolution (landscape history), assessing present landscape conditions (landscape characterisation) and visualising future scenarios (landscape scenario). The knowledge and link of these topics are essential for a sustainable future of European island landscapes. However innovative approaches like this proposed by SUMESLAND are lacking in the current treaching and learning of European universities, but urgently needed to achieve sound conservation and development of island landscapes. As mentioned before, this has been urgently requested also by European Conventions and Directives in the subject. LERNING OUTCOMES & SUBJECT RELATED COMPETENCES • Innovative landscape teaching & learning methodology on island landscape history, characterisation, identity, scenario and their interlinks • Know-how and exchange of teaching best practices and learnign skills and on the above • Increased academic performance and developed curricula in island landscape studies • Possibilities for students and lecturers to meet, exchange and cooperate in innovative studies on European island landscapes that would not be possible otherwise. • Facilitated future employment of graduates in tha above sectors tackled