MEDfOR - Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (academic year 2025/27)

MEDfOR also address specific topics on the field of forestry, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean area such as:

• forest as a unique world heritage,
• forest management and conservation
• forestry role in the welfare of the society.

Our purpose is to educate the next generation of leaders in forestry and natural resources, and public and private land management, with a special focus on the Mediterranean region. We wish to provide our students with tools to contribute to the solutions of forestry, natural resources and environmental challenges throughout the region and the world.

For that we brought together the best expertise, human resources and facilities of the Mediterranean region.

The Programme is offered by a Consortium of top ranked Universities supported by a consultation panel with several associated partners and stakeholders that come from leading international research and outreach organizations in all scientific areas of interest to Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management.

OUTCOMES and CAREERS

At the end of the programme you shall have acquired a solid scientific habilitation, specific technical skills and the necessary competences necessary to develop a career in innovative fields of work in Forestry.

Our Alumi, who come from all over the world, have found jobs everyhere. Some are working at private entities, public administration, international organizations (eg. FAO, GIZ), ONGS, or as consultants for local or international companies. One third of the students got a PhD scholarship and started an academic career. Some alumni are now lecturers.

THE MEDITERRANEAN FOREST AND FORESTRY

Mediterranean biomes are mostly present around the Mediterranean Sea but also on several regions of Australia, Africa, US and Brazil. Mediterranean ecosystems are extremely frail and unique ecosystems, classified as biodiversity hotspots. Their level of biodiversity and genetic variability is extremely high. Mediterranean forests are a unique world natural heritage in terms of biological diversity, hosting around 25.000 plant species.

Mediterranean human populations have always lived in closed contact with Mediterranean forests, and these forests have been strongly shaped by their activities. Populations have always depended on the products and services the forest provides. 

Further, Mediterranean forest support forest services with protective, productive and socio-economic functions such as: carbon sequestration, contribution to ecosystem richness or soil and water conservation among others

THREATS

Mediterranean forests are now seriously threatened by drastic and rapid climate and land use changes, which add to long-standing problems related to desertification processes and forest fires. Other problems are associated with the over-exploitation and over-grazing of forest lands. It is expected that climate changes will result in the expansion of Mediterranean-like conditions to new areas.

MEDfOR wishes to address this problems and improve Mediterranean forestry and natural resources management and policy-making.

Consortium

MEDfOR is offered by a Consortium of top ranked Universities with complementary expertise on the field of Mediterranean forestry and natural resources management.

The Coordinators of each University of the MEDfOR programme consist of internationally recognized specialists from each scientific area of interest to Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management. They all hold a PhD and a professorship in their institutions and an impressive list of publications in top-ranked international journals. The MEDfOR Consortium Partners have an extensive global research network within the scientific areas of interest to MEDFOR, including significant representation in key international research arenas and projects and major scientific editorial responsibilities.

• University of Lisbon, Portugal
• University of Padova, Italy
• University of Lleida, Spain
• Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey
• University of Valladolid, Spain
• University of Tuscia, Italy
• Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal

About the Course

The MEDfOR emphasis is on educating the leaders of the future generation of engineers, managers, researchers, and teachers involved in Mediterranean forestry and natural resources management.

MEDfOR equips students with a solid scientific habilitation and the competences for careers in innovative fields of work within the Mediterranean forestry supply chain. It will both provide the basis needed for students to pursue academic opportunities (e.g. PhD program) and the qualifications needed to fill positions in all Mediterranean forestry supply chain segments (e.g. forestry and natural resources organizations, either public or private, either national or international).

Students can study in two or three of the 7 universities of the Consortium and may also have the opportunity to do internships with our Associated Partners.

Mobility

Students will have to spend, obligatory, their first year of studies in one of the three Universities: University of Lleida, Padua or Lisbon. In the second year they may move to any other university of the consortium according to their interest in the different specializations - except back to their first year institution. Then, they may stay in their second university during the entire second year, or still move to another University in the second semester – including going back to their first year university. Notice that in order to obtain the title of Erasmus Mundus students have to study at least in two countries different from the one where they took their previous degree.

1st Year
The first year is spent at the University of Lleida, Padua or Lisbon where the student will acquire knowledge in the full range of disciplines essential to the use and management of Mediterranean forests. These courses have a solid anchor on the scientific areas of (i) earth sciences (ES), (ii) biology and ecology (BE), (iii) mathematics (M), (iv) forest engineering (FE) and (v) social and management sciences (SMS).

During the first year the students shall have two online courses: the first "Introductory Course: Introduction to Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources" offered by U of Valladolid in the beginning of the first semester; and the 2nd "E-learning - Research and project development methodology – applications" offered by U of Padua during the 2nd semester. These courses are done by the whole cohort at the same time, and students have to interact with each other.

2nd Year
On the first semester of the 2nd year students have to choose a specialization, among the 7 topics offered by the consortium, where they will acquire cutting edge knowledge in a specialized field provided by one of the consortium universities.

1. Multiple criteria decision support systems for Mediterranean forest management planning in ULisboa
2. Social and Environmental responsibility in Mediterranean forestry in U Padua
3. Addressing risks in Mediterranean forest management planning-the case of fire in U Lleida
4. Adaptive forestry strategies to provide good and services while coping with global change challenge in U Valladolid
5. Advanced tools for sustainable management of Mediterranean forests in U Tuscia
6. Ecosystem based multi-use forest management planning in Mediterranean forests in U Karadeniz
7. Mediterranean Sustainable Forest Management - An Institutional Economics Approach in U Catholic Porto

During the 2nd semester students will develop their thesis. Students are encouraged to develop an important fieldwork component taking advantage of on-going projects being carried out by members of the MEDfOR consortium as well as internships provided by stakeholders. All Associated Partners as well as relevant stakeholders may serve as hosts for the thesis work.

Summer Event
In the end of the 2nd year, students are invited to attend the Summer Event, a non-mandatory event, in which students may present the work they have developed during their thesis. It is also a Farewell event. This is organized by the University of Tusica, and the event takes place in the Italian Alps in a small town called Pieve Tesino.