Regional Integration Project

Course goals

• Define a research topic and formulate research questions and justify methodology in a research proposal;
• Carry out fieldwork using natural and social science methods
• Apply GIS software to process spatial data;
• Create a scientific research report based on field research;
• Examine and integrate your insights with the insights of other research groups;
• Develop and present solutions or policy recommendations based on the integrated research outcomes.

Content

In Regional Integration Project, you will apply the knowledge you gained in the first year of Global Sustainability Science. For this, you will develop, conduct, report and integrate knowledge. You will go through all steps of a research cycle and will perform a multidisciplinary field study on the Wadden island Texel. In the first part of the course, you will develop a research proposal together with your group members. After this, all groups will spend five days on Texel gathering different types of data using natural sciences and social methods. Each day you will perform a different type of measurement techniques and collect different data to get acquainted with multiple research techniques and data acquisition that are relevant for multidisciplinary research. After the fieldwork, you will have experience with:

• Natural scientific data collection focused on surface water and groundwater quality, land use, nature restoration, succession, biodiversity and/or renewable energy;
• Social science data collection by carrying out surveys, in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders to your research topic.

In the second part of the course, after fieldwork, students will analyze the data to answer their research question(s) and write a research report. Finally, students will integrate their results across research groups and formulate policy recommendations for the local governments, NGO's or other stakeholders and present this with the use of a graphical abstract in a symposium.

Individually, students will develop a concept map, in which they will map sustainability problems on Texel and you will learn how to use GIS with a guided practical. 

This course is an entry requirement for:

• Global Integration Project (GEO2-2417)
• Bachelor’s thesis GSS (GEO3-2422)
• Consultancy Project (GEO3-2423)

Note: there is a fee for the field trip of around 200 euro (the exact amount will be determined and communicated at the start of the course). The fieldwork typically takes place in week 4 or 5 of the course.