The 2013 MedOpen Advanced Course in ICZM in the Mediterranean, which PAP/RAC organised for the SHAPE project partners, has been officially concluded. A number of 22 applicants registered for the Course, more than a half of whom actively participated to it.
During the 12 weeks 12 different topics dealing with the ICZM were presented to students through the Basic and Advanced lectures, including the additional reading materials, such as the scientific articles, reports and publications, as well as the slide presentations and videos.
Students actively participated to the ICZM Forum discussions and prepared their Final Essays (individually or in groups of two) with the aim to advance ICZM in their country or a specific location. The Essays were submitted to their lecturer for the assessment and comment.
In addition to their theory classes, students participated to a practical component of the Course - the Simulation Game, becoming members of a fictitious society faced with a challenging coastal management issue. All participants were given roles evolving according to given guidelines, but in the utmost freedom to test theoretical issues and methodologies. During the five weeks the participants assumed various parts of the ICZM Process, prepared proposals which were defended with the local authorities to promote sustainable development in the imaginary scenario, and finally, submitted a full report on proposals to the Mayor. The result of their joint efforts is a document entitled a Strategy for Sustainable Development of Handenor 2020 – Rewriting a Hi(story).
The students’ overall work will be assessed and graded by the MedOpen lecturers and the Simulation Game Co-ordinator taking into account their active participation to Forum discussions and the Simulation Game, as well as their Final Essays. The results obtained will be announced at the MedOpen website.
PAP/RAC will benefit from students’ comments and evaluation of the Course included in the Post Evaluation Questionnaires, which, as usual, will be taken into consideration for the improvement of the future MedOpen editions.
