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IPROMO 2021 call for applications: Post COVID-19 recovery in mountain areas

29.04.2021

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat is pleased to announce the call for applications for the fourteenth IPROMO Summer School. The annual training programme on sustainable mountain development is jointly organized by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the University of Turin, Italy, and the University of Tuscia, Italy, with the high patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This year, the theme is “Post COVID-19 recovery in mountain areas.”

The pandemic and the restrictions adopted by countries to respond to it have amplified the existing vulnerabilities and marginalization of mountain communities. Mountain livelihoods – which rely mostly on agriculture, tourism and remittances – have been particularly affected by the global lockdowns. The prolonged recession that is unfolding will require special attention to ensure that the most vulnerable among mountain people – particularly women and youth – are not pushed further into poverty and deprivation, and that pressure on natural resources does not increase.

The 2021 IPROMO Summer School will focus on several aspects, tools and skills that contribute to an integrated management of mountain areas through the many lenses of climate change. Topics include environmental conservation, watershed management, mountain forests, mountain food systems and sustainable tourism.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 IPROMO course will be held online from 6 to 19 July. The structure includes four 45-minute modules per day, each followed by 15 minutes of questions and answers, for a total four hours of lesson per day. The e-learning platforms used will be MOODLE and CISCO WEBEX; all lessons will be available both live and recorded. At the end of each day, a questionnaire will be distributed to participants to be completed before the following lesson. Virtual working groups will be formed, allowing participants to share their knowledge and build a network of experts.

The course will accept approximately 35 participants, who will be selected among officers, development experts and technicians from all over the world.

Excellent knowledge of English, an university degree (preferably in a technical area such as agriculture, forestry, biology, geology or geography), relevant work experience and a reliable digital connection are prerequisites.

Those who are interested in participating can register online and upload their curriculum vitae as a Word or PDF file here.

The deadline to apply is 15 May 2021, and applicants can expect to receive a reply by end of May 2021.

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