Unit of Spatial Planning and Regional Development

E P C E M

European Post-Graduate Course in Environmental Management

Master Programme

Environmental Management and Policy-making

EPCEM is a one-year full-time course, preparing experts to function in teams and to apply an inter-disciplinary, problem-solving approach to environmental problems in an international / European context. Since 1992, over 150 participants have been awarded a supplementary Master's Degree in Environmental Management at the end of the course.

Objectives and Programme Outline

Tackling environmental issues effectively demands international cooperation between European governments, enterprises and organizations. The European Union (EU) is exerting a growing influence on the national environmental policy of member states. Non-member countries, too, feel the effects of EU environmental policy in a variety of ways. There are considerable differences among European countries with regard to their environmental policy and management.

Against this background the aim of EPCEM is contributing to the:

Strengthening of international co-operation in the field of environmental policy;
Enhancement of environmental expertise in European countries; and
Harmonization of environmental policy and environmental management in Europe.

Within this general European orientation, the EPCEM programme offers:

A multi-disciplinary set-up (participants and programme);
A problem-solving oriented approach;
Both advanced knowledge and professional skills;
Application of concepts and theory in practice;
Interdisciplinary projects in European countries; and
A high degree of student participation (learning by doing).

EPCEM runs from the beginning of September 1998 and consists of 3 modules (1-3) of theoretical preparation and skills training, and 2 modules (4-5) of practical experience. More specifically these modules have as follows:

Introduction (1 week)

1^st module: Environmental science (3 weeks)

2^nd module: Environmental policy and management (9 weeks)

3rd module: Environmental policy, regional differentiation (3 weeks)

4^th module: Interdisciplinary research project (16 weeks)

5^th module: Individual internship (8 weeks)

Evaluation (1 week)

Organization and information

Since 1992, EPCEM is organized by a joint initiative of four interdisciplinary environmental science departments in the Netherlands, namely the:

Interfaculty Department of Environmental Science (IVAM), University of Amsterdam;
Centre of Environmental Science (CML), Leiden University;
Institute for Environmental Studies (IvM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; and
Wageningen Center for Environment and Climate Studies (CMKW), Wageningen Agricultural University.

These well established departments all have a great deal of experience in environmental research and in the interdisciplinary training of both graduate and postgraduate students.

Since 1996, in the context of a European Union TEMPUS project called "Pan-European Master Programme in Environmental Management" (PEMPEM), part of the programme is organized in co-operation with the:

Environmental Management Workgroup, Lajos Kossuth University in Debrecen, Hungary; and
Department of Geography & Regional Planning, National Technical University, Athens, Greece.

The EPCEM board preserves the right to adjust the programme if judged necessary or to cancel the programme if the required minimum of sponsoring should not be reached.

For more information about the course, the selection procedure, financial support, etc., and for application forms and brochures, please, contact one of the Dutch EPCEM departments or the EPCEM representatives abroad (see below).

The EPCEM secretariat:

Interfaculty Department of Environmental Science (IVAM), University of Amsterdam (UvA), Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, 1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Tel: +31(0)20.525.6232/5853/5075/6206

Fax: +31(0)20.525.6272

E-mail: l.pietersen@frw.uva.nl / c.h.j.oijen@frw.uva.nl

Internet homepage: http://www.frw.uva.nl/uk/epcem.htm

The other EPCEM departments:

Centre of Environmental Science (CML), Leiden University

Einsteinweg 2, P.O.Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.

Tel: +31(0)71.5277463 Fax: +31(0)71.5275587

E-mail: loo@rulrhb.leidenuniv.nl

Institute for Environmental Studies (IvM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

De Boelelaan 1115, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Tel: +31(0)20.4449558 Fax: +31(0)20.4449553

E-mail: koen.de.kruif@ivm.vu.nl

Wageningen Center for Environment and Climate Studies (CMKW), Wageningen Agricultural University

P.O.Box 9101, 6700 HB Wageningen - The Netherlands.

Tel: +31(0)317.484812 Fax: +31(0)317.484839

E-mail: yvonne.kleintjes@algemeen.cmkw.wau.nl

EPCEM representatives abroad:

Other institutes from different European countries with expert knowledge on regional environmental problems and regional environmental policy are also involved in the organization and evaluation of the programme.

Efforts are being made to establish a selected number of focal points in countries of Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Europe, which would be involved in the organization, execution and finance of the EPCEM in the future. These have as follows:

Belorussia:

Belorussian Polytechnical Academy Minsk, Ecology Department

Dr. S. Dorozhko, 65, Skaryna Avenue, MINSK, Belorussia 220027.

Tel: +375.172.399129. Fax: +375.172.313049

E-mail: ecology_zone8@infra.belpak.minsk.by

Croatia:

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Sociology

Prof. Dr. I. Cifric, I. Lucica 3,10000 ZAGREB.

Tel: +385.1.6120007 Fax: +385.1.6156879

Czechia:

Charles University, Prague, Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Sciences

Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Branis, Benatska 2, 128 01

PRAGUE 2.

Tel: +420.2.21953401 Fax: +420.2.24914803

E-mail: branis@mail.natur.cuni.cz

Greece:

National Technical University of Athens, School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, Department of Geography & Regional Planning

Ms. Prof. Dr. M. Giaoutzi, Zographou Campus, 105780 ATHENS.

Tel: +30.1.7722.7749/774 Fax: +30.1.7722750

E-mail: giaoutsi@central.ntua.gr

Hungary:

Lajos Kossuth University, Debrecen, Environmental Management Workgroup

Dr. Z. Karacsonyi, PEMPEM co-ordinator, Egyetemter 1

4010 DEBRECEN.

Tel: +36.52.316666 (ex 2203) Fax: +36.52.310003/431148

E-mail: karacsonyiz@tigris.klte.hu / karacsonyi@fs2.date.hu Internet

homepage: http://www.envm.klte.hu

Hungary:

Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Department of Chemical Technology and Environmental Chemistry

Ms. Dr. E. Varga, Pazmany Setany 2, 1117 BUDAPEST.

Tel: +36.1.2090555 (ex 1215) Fax: +36.1.2090602

E-mail: kemtech2@para.chem.elte.hu

Latvia:

Latvia University, Riga, Centre for Environment and Management Studies

Dr. R. Ernshteins, 19 RAINIS boulevard, 226098 RIGA.

Tel: +371.2. 7229356/7224398 Fax: +371.7228286

E-mail: cesam@lanet.lv

Poland:

Warsaw Technical University, Institute of Environmental Engineering (IEE)

Prof. Dr. M. Nawalany & Prof. Dr. J. Kindler, Ul

Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 WARSAW.

Tel: +48.22.6218993/6604765 Fax: +48.22.6254305

E-mail: marek@mars.iis.pw.edu.pl / jkindler@iis.pw.edu.pl

Poland:

Technical University, Cracow, Institute of Water Engineering and Management

Dr.inz. W. Indyk, 24 Ul. Warszawska, 31-155 CRACOW.

Tel: +48.12.6330300 (ex 2843) Fax: +48.12.6331083

E-mail: tmaczuga@lajkonik.wis.pk.edu.pl

Portugal:

New University of Lisbon, Faculty of Science and Technology

Prof. Dr. J.L.M. Ferreira Mendes

Quinta da Torre, 2825 MONTE DE CAPARICA.

Tel: +351.1.2954464 Fax: +351.1.2954461

Russia:

RussianAcademy of Sciences Moscow, Institute of Sociology

Ms.Dr. I. Khalyi, Ul.

Krzizhanovskogo 24/35, b. 5, MOSCOW 117259.

Tel: +7.095.4232237 Fax: +7.095.7190740

E-mail: yanitsky@glas.apc.org

Ukraine:

University of "Kiev Mohyla Academy", E.E.&I.C., Department of Environmental Science (NUKMA)

Prof. Dr. V. Zamostian,

2 Skovorody Street, 254070 KIEV.

Tel: +380.044.416588 Fax: +380.044.41.63124/78461

E-mail: zamos@kma.courier.kiev.ua

Application and tuition

Candidates have to go through a selection procedure before admittance. The total number and representation of different backgrounds (country, sector, discipline) of the selected participants partly depends on the sponsoring by the various funding agencies. Until now, EPCEM has been sponsored by several Dutch governmental funds and ministries, by the European Union TEMPUS Programme and occasionally by other funding agencies (like the Soros Foundation, which has provided individual grants).

Participants from Central and Eastern Europe can apply for a scholarship and a waiver of the tuition fee. For candidates from the Netherlands a limited number of places are available for a reduced tuition fee.

Disciplines of EPCEM participants (1992-1997):

Biology/Ecology - 16%

Earth science - 16%

Agronomy/Forestry - 12%

Engineering - 11%

Economics - 10%

Chemistry/Physics - 9%

Social sciences - 7%

Law - 5%

Environmental science - 4%

Physical planning - 3%

Public health - 3%