IUFRO-SPDC strengthens skills needed in an increasingly complex world (online)
The online course “Systematic Evidence Evaluation on Forest Landscape Restoration” was organized as a collaboration between IUFRO’s Special Programme for Development of Capacities (IUFRO-SPDC) and the University of Oxford in the UK, and took place between the 12th and 16th of October 2020.
The subject of systematic evidence has become increasingly important in the last decade. The world is becoming more and more complex, and that asks for adequate policy making and smart management decisions. This course gives way to methods of evidence evaluation that support and encourage appropriate and accurate policy decisions and actions that can be taken about forests and forest-related land use.
During the course, participants were introduced to software and tools required for systematic reviews of forest-related science. The trainers combined lectures, videos, breakout sessions for group work, online quizzes and polls to create an interactive learning environment and develop the necessary skills and methods to support this goal, including framing answerable questions that address policy and practice concerns.
The demand for this course was high, but ultimately 40 applicants were accepted and divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon (relative to GMT). The attendees consisted of early and mid-career scientists from economically disadvantaged countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Of course, all of them are working on research issues related to forest landscape restoration. The multitude of cultures brought diverse discussions and different perspectives on forest-related topics. All attendees were able to participate in the course for free, thanks to financial contributions from the US Forest Service.
The first IUFRO-SPDC online training turned out to be a success, and we are looking forward to offering more online opportunities in 2021! Participants sent a lot of positive feedback, as well as constructive suggestions for such future courses. We congratulate them all for the successful and active participation!
More information about this course can be found at: https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/tw/online-course-systematic-evidence-evaluation/
IUFRO’s support to forest science in economically disadvantaged countries is implemented via the IUFRO Special Programme for Development of Capacities:https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/
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