Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Master in biology of organisms and ecology, professional focus in conservation biology : biodiversity and management | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
All year long, with partial in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course aims to contribute to training professionals capable of applying their scientific skills in complex and multidisciplinary contexts. It allows students to develop soft skills adapted to biodiversity management by integrating different activities.
Transdisciplinarity and Critical Thinking: Participation in a transdisciplinary conference and the analysis of social science articles expose students to diverse perspectives, encouraging them to develop critical thinking and integrate knowledge from diverse fields.
Reflexivity on Knowledge and Practices: Reflective field analysis allows students to question themselves and reflect on their practical experiences, particularly with regard to human and social dynamics.
Collaboration and Leadership: Collective intelligence workshops provide practical tools for teamwork and successful participatory projects, crucial skills for managing conservation projects where cooperation between diverse stakeholders is essential.
Students are thus better prepared to approach the challenges of their future careers with an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Open-mindedness and critical thinking: In this course, students are exposed to new disciplines and approaches, encouraging them to think outside of their usual box and consider problems from new perspectives.
Effectively communicating ideas: Participating in debates and discussions, creating effective discussion papers, and asking questions... these activities encourage students to develop their ability to clearly formulate their ideas and communicate effectively with each other, with specialists from other disciplines, and with different audiences.
Critical analysis and knowledge integration: Reading and critically analyzing a social science article requires biology students to evaluate the concepts and methods of another field and consider how these ideas can be applied to their own research, thus strengthening their ability to integrate scientific knowledge from other disciplinary fields.
Autonomy and Time Management: Selecting and analyzing an article requires independent task management, including research, in-depth reading, and critical thinking, in addition to meeting deadlines.
Participatory Leadership and Facilitation: By learning collective intelligence tools, students develop participatory leadership skills, including the ability to guide groups toward consensus-based solutions and facilitate productive discussions.
Critical Reflection and Empathy: Reflective analysis, especially in a field context, challenges students to consider the perspectives of local communities, develop a deeper understanding of social and cultural dynamics, and demonstrate empathy. This activity encourages students to reflect deeply on their own practices, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate the impact of their actions on others and the environment.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The core requirement for this course is a master thesis project. The course utilizes students' field experiences as a basis for reflective analysis.
Students not completing a master thesis are encouraged to contact their co-teachers to consider alternatives.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Participation in a transdisciplinary conference: Students attend a transdisciplinary conference where experts from different fields discuss the challenges of biodiversity management. They are encouraged to actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and engage with the speakers.
Selection and analysis of a social science article: Each student selects a social science article related to their dissertation or professional internship. A critical analysis of the article is conducted, highlighting connections with their own research, and students are encouraged to consider how social science concepts or methods could enrich their work.
Participation in workshops on collective intelligence tools: Students participate in workshops on collective intelligence tools, such as facilitation techniques, collaborative brainstorming, and participatory decision-making. These workshops aim to equip them with the skills to work effectively in teams and to mobilize the knowledge and skills of a diverse group of stakeholders in biodiversity management.
Reflective analysis based on field experience: Students conduct a reflective analysis based on field experience. They are invited to reflect on their own knowledge and practices, the social dynamics observed, and the impacts of their intervention in the field.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Presence
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Out-of-session test(s)
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Written work / report
Additional information:
1. First semester
Presentation of a humanities article (sociology or anthropology, qualitative approach) chosen by the student in connection with their dissertation project and fieldwork, and approved by the course supervisors. The student produces a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation. This presentation is not a simple summary of the article's content, but rather reflects a personal analysis and reflection on the learnings related to the article and useful/relevant for the dissertation. Both presentation to the class and participation in discussions are graded.
2. Second semester
Production of a 5- to 8-page reflective field notebook recounting 3 to 5 significant events or episodes, and using these episodes to reflectively analyze the learnings acquired in the field during internships and dissertations. The objective of the assignment is to encourage students to step back from their field experiences and analyze these episodes in a way that connects them to broader reflections.
Two main avenues for reflection/questioning are offered to students as a starting point:
- The relationship between scientific knowledge and biodiversity management: In conservation, it is common to hear that we must "know better, to manage better." We invite you to question this obvious fact! How does the knowledge you produce inform certain projects and management perspectives? What are the limitations or uncertainties surrounding your work? What reflections or questions does this raise in you? What knowledge is useful for management? What are your broader thoughts on the relationship between science and management?
- The relationship between experts and other management stakeholders: In the field, conservation professionals cannot simply implement ideal technical solutions to protect or restore ecosystems. They often have to find compromises to take sides for both nature and humans. How does your fieldwork allow you to concretely consider the gap between your expert skills and your role as a future environmental manager? What avenues do you identify to bridge this gap?
Oral defense of the report to supervisors: no formal oral presentation, but discussion and response to supervisors' questions.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Students who already completed a master thesis, or with a thesis in a topic not related to conservation biology, or who don't plan to defend a master thesis should contact the professors before the start of the class to discuss possible modifications.
Contacts
Nicolas Magain nicolas.magain@uliege.be
Dorothée Denayer d.denayer@uliege.be