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Tokyo

Building resilience to climate change

The United Nations University Institute for Sus­tainability and Peace (UNU-ISP), Tokyo, invites applications for the intensive post­graduate programme on Building Resilience to Climate Change. The courses have been developed under the framework of the University Network for Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research (UN-CECAR). UN-CECAR is a joint initiative of more than 20 leading universities across Asia. It is committed to developing postgraduate educational and research programmes on climate and ecosystems change, adaptation and sustainability sci­ence. UNU-ISP acts as the Secretariat for UN-CECAR.

The new courses, conducted at UNU-ISP, cover a range of issues on sustainability and adaptation to climate and ecosystems change. Topics include climate and atmo­spheric science, impacts assessment, climate and society, ecosystems resilience, risk and uncertainty, integrated solutions for mitigation and adaptation, mainstreaming adaptation into development planning and community-based adaptation. Students also will receive practical training in the use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for climate and ecosystems change research.

The assessment will be based on a research paper, presentations, class participation, and intermediate tests. The courses are practically-oriented and will be taught by a highly qualified and diverse team of natural and social science scholars. Each course is equivalent to a regular 2 credit postgraduate course in Japan. Credits also can be transferred to the UNU-ISP Master of Science in Sustainability, Development, and Peace programme.

Course information

Course 1 focuses on Science, Impacts and Vulnerability, and Course 2 focuses on Approaches to Adaptation. Practical training on remote sensing and GIS software will be provided in conjunction to the courses.  As part of the assessment, students will be required to complete a research paper that links their thesis topic to climate change.

Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded a certificate of completion and a transcript from UNU-ISP. Each course is designed to be worth 2 credits and comprises of 36 hours of teaching time. While a number of universities have negotiated credit transfer agreements with UNU-ISP, ultimately the decision on whether credits are transferrable will be made by the student’s university.

• Weather, climate and atmospheric processes
• Climate change
• Observed climate change impacts
• Scenarios for future impact assessments
• Climate projections and uncertainty
• Selecting appropriate future climate predictions
• Mitigations and adaptation practices and resilience, urban and rural
• Community adaptation
• Economics of climate change

• Students who are currently enrolled in a masters or Ph.D. programme, in any discipline;
• who wish to deepen their knowledge on, and gain practical training in, building resilience to climate and ecosystems change; and
• who desire a future career as a climate change specialist.

Excellent written and verbal English language skills are required. Applicants whose first language is not English and whose bachelor’s degree is not from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit proof of English language proficiency within the past 2 years. The minimum score requirements for TOEFL or IELTS are listed below:

• 600 TOEFL paper-based
• 100 TOEFL internet-based
• 7.0 IELTS academic version

Exemptions

The following applicants are exempt from submitting a score sheet:

• Applicants whose first language is English.
• Those who graduated from a university or a graduate school located in a country where English is the first language.
• Those who completed an undergraduate or graduate degree programme taught in English. In this case, please submit a certificate showing that the programme you attended was taught in English.
• Applicants who submit proof by any other means that have proficiency in English equivalent to that described in item 2) or 3)

Bi-annual

You can apply to the Postgraduate Courses on Building Resilience to Climate Change or by downloading and completing an application form.

If you would like to apply by mail or email, you should submit the following documents:

• A completed application (found below) with photo and signature
• Proof of enrolment in a master’s or Ph.D. degree programme for those currently undertaking a degree programme
• Original transcripts of academic records at the college or university level, or certified copies of original transcripts (these will not be returned to the applicant, so please do not include original certificates of diplomas or degrees)
• A detailed proposal of your research topic, and explain how it could link with your current university thesis topic to that of climate change
• TOEFL scores or equivalent proof of English-language proficiency for non-native speakers or those who do not have an academic degree in an English-speaking country
• Minimum two references; one from the student’s supervisor and one from another faculty member
• A completed medical form (found below)

All of the documents listed above should be sent by email to [email protected], [email protected], or sent by registered express mail to the following address:

All application documents should be submitted in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A very limited number of partial fellowships will be available for applicants from developing countries who are applying for two courses. The applicants should be residing in a developing country. These fellowships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. If you are applying for a UNU fellowship, please complete the UNU Fellowship Application Form portion under the Application Form (please note that the fellowships are available only for applicants from developing countries). Please note that the tuition fee for courses is not covered by the fellowship grant.

USD 2,000 (or JPY 200,000) for both courses

2013-07-31

Ms. Wilma James, email: [email protected] or [email protected]