The concept of ‘sustainability’ in theory and practice: critical reflections applied to a local situation

The Masters program is Sustainable Resource Management which is about : Natural resources, such as soil, water, air or biological diversity, constitute the essential foundations of human life and economic activity. Their consumption is rapidly increasing worldwide, a process further intensified by global trends, such as population and economic growth. This results in increasing pressure on all natural resources, accompanied by yet more environmental problems. Moreover, rivalries and conflicting interests increasingly develop over the use of resources that are continuously becoming more and more scarce. This also leads with increasing frequency to international tensions, the comprehensive and lasting solution to which currently poses one of the greatest challenges to humanity. The international master’s program in Sustainable Resource Management addresses these challenges while taking into consideration their social, economic and ecological dimensions. As such, the focus lies on conveying suitable methods of analysis and management. At the same time, the development of specialist and personal competences in an intercultural context remains to the fore. With nine available areas of specialization, the program offers a large degree of freedom when creating an individual competency profile. The available areas of focus include: Environmental Economics and Policy; Management and Protection of Forest Ecosystems; Wildlife and Protected Area Management; Landscape Management; Renewable Resources; Climate, Air and Water; Soils and Soil Management; Material and Waste Management; Agricultural Land-Use Systems