Erasmus Mundus Masters Course in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems

The world faces a crisis risking extinction of species through global warming. Due to impact of e.g., changes in land use and destruction of habitats, tropical rain forests, mangrove forests and coral reefs are disappearing and with them ecosystem functions, goods and services on which human populations are dependent. In order to conserve nature, to manage or even to restore tropical biodiversity and ecosystems, we must understand patterns of tropical biodiversity, study how organisms interact with their environment and how they respond to perturbations and change. Next to research, this is dealt with in this unique masters programme.

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PROGRAMME

TROPIMUNDO is an EC-funded Erasmus Mundus Masters Course in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems. We aim to bring together expert Higher Education Institutes (HEI), with long-standing worldwide expertise in tropical rainforests and woodlands and in coastal ecosystems. TROPIMUNDO students are able to concentrate on botany, zoology and integrative ecosystem approaches in institutions worldwide in 2 Master years. Multiple specialisations are included. TROPIMUNDO students will be able to concentrate on botany, zoology and integrative ecosystem approaches. Specialisation is possible on the evolution of tropical flora and vegetation, on faunistic assemblages, on informatics tools to treat and manage biodiversity data and databases (biogeographical, genetical, geographical information systems) including the management and conservation of historic collections such as herbarium sheets, on the study of diversity, dynamics and evolution of tropical and subtropical ecosystems (with a focus on four related systems, namely tropical rainforests and woodlands, mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs, including the interactions between flora, fauna, man and the environment within and between each of these adjacent ecosystems), on conservation and restoration ecology of natural habitats and their biodiversity including competences in sustainable management and governance of biodiversity, and finally, on tropical ethnobotany, exploitation and valorisation of natural resources and conservation of traditional ecological knowledge.

The information in this website may be subject to changes from one year to another.

Core values

Unique mobility programme worldwide, including a unique set of threatened ecosystems

Study, research and field courses in Amazonian, African and/or Australian wet tropics
Intensive contact with different cultures and languages

Degree

While aiming at a joint Master degree, students are awarded a multiple degree depending on which European institutes were visited. In addition, each student will receive a Europass Certificate signed by all participating higher education institutes involved. Find more information on the academic learning outcome.

Basic student requirements

An internationally accepted Bachelor’s degree (i.e. the equivalent of 180 ECTS) with a major in Biology, Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or equivalent from an accredited university.
Students must be able to demonstrate proficiency in English or English + French. More information on language requirements can be found in the Online Information and Application Module.
A personal evaluation of the applications will be done by a selection committee
In the 1st and 3rd semester basic and specialised language courses are offered based on actual trajectory needs.

Trajectory in 4 semesters

The consortium is composed of 5 European institutes and 3 third-country (non-European) higher education institutes. In a first semester, students start at a European institute of their choice to acquire similar competences. In a second semester field experience and courses will take place in a university in a non-EU country. This includes hands-on experience in 1 or 2 tropical sites. The third semester will cover a specialisation in a European university, different from the first one. Courses vary at this semester. In the fourth semester students return to where they started out for their thesis research. Every trajectory of 4 semesters constitutes a unique combination of courses and expertises. In-depth information available:

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are 8,000 EUR per year for third-country students and 4,000 EUR per year for European students. They are to be paid to the coordinating institute. The tuition fees include consortium enrolment fees and the insurance cost. The tuition fees do not include costs related to visa and preparatory documents, accommodation, additional insurance costs, living expenses and travel and transportation costs. However, EC-funded students have additional cost coverage. Find more information here.

Scholarships

TROPIMUNDO Candidates can also apply for an EC scholarship, which is however limited by a number of criteria.

Applying for Tropimundo

The following information sections are extracted from the online Information and Application Module.

Students and Alumni

TROPIMUNDO students and alumni will have the opportunity to become a member of the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association - EMA.

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

Application

Detailed information on TROPIMUNDO facts, conditions, procedures, etc... is available in the online Information and Application Module. The call for TROPIMUNDO applications period is now closed. The deadline for submission of applications (online only) was 15th January 2013. Within a few weeks we will reopen the 2013-2014 call for self-funded students originating from one of the member states of the European Union. Click here to get your personal link to the online Information and Application Module.
The call for 2014-2015 will open in September 2013.

Participating universities and local coordinators

All institutes in the consortium are internationally-minded institutions with infrastructure, experience and proven results in servicing foreign students and scholars. The Local Coordinator, assisted by a Local Administrative Manager, will be the single contact point for students in all matters and will act as liaison between students and the administrative departments at their institution. All European institutes also have an International Relations Office that is used to guide foreign students and researchers, providing necessary material to help them find their way in the full program. The consortium aims to meet the highest quality requirements. More information on programme quality and evaluation is available from the Online Information and Application Module.

Consortium:

- Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB (Belgium)
General Coordinator: Farid DAHDOUH-GUEBAS