Climate change is the main challenge of the 21st century. Our societies must learn to organize and develop within the physical boundaries of our planet. Natural and mineral resources exploitation, energy production, land management and urban planning, agricultural practices will be impacted by climate change, biodiversity erosion, and environmental contamination. Defining desirable trajectories for socio-ecosystems requires increased cooperation between engineering - ecology, climate and earth sciences - and social sciences.

Simultaneously, new possibilities are emerging. Observation tools: communicating, ever cheaper smaller in-situ sensors; ever more platforms for remote sensing (aircraft, (nano)satellites, drones...); high throughput characterization of biodiversity from environmental DNA. Modelling tools either traditional (e.g. climate models) or data-driven (AI). Data and analyses availability (e.g. Copernicus services), and increased citizen awareness should lead to more "science-based policies". A major challenge here is the implementation of operational methods to weave expert knowledge in the political decision-making process.

Within the TERRA curricular, we would like to train the next generation of natural resources managers, whether they are geologists, sociologists, urban planners, historians or economists, to the vulnerability and opportunities in the energy transition in Europe. We will particularly focus on the social and environmental challenges associated with the ecological transition, and will develop new tools and practices for gaining the Social Licence to Operate, for ethical sourcing and the traceability of raw materials, establish industry alliances as a key mechanism towards sustainable and secure supply of raw materials. Our general strategy will rely on strong disciplinary backgrounds in the master programs participating in the program, and provide hands-on interdisciplinary experiences, and the possibility of course exchanges to favor pluridisciplinarity;

How to apply

Courses are taught in French or English depending on the Masters programme concerned. The teaching units of the thematic programme are taught in English.

To apply to this programme, you must first be admitted to the first year of a Master's programme in one of the following courses:
 

Master	Department	Language
Master in earth, planetary and environmental sciences	UFR Phitem	French English
ENSE3 (Hydraulic and Civil Engineering)	Grenoble INP	French English
Master ‘s in urban planning and development	Institut d'urbanisme et de géographie alpine	French
Master Histoire, parcours Histoire appliquée : société, environnement, territoires	UFR Arts et sciences humaines	French
Master Transitions Ecologiques : Solidarité, innovations économiques et développement territorial	Sciences Po Grenoble	French

Specific courses

M1 : Field trip (3 ECTS) :

3 days along the Rhone river and the Massif Central Mountains to discover the environmental footprint of human activities (energy production, raw material extraction, urbanism).

M1 : Growth and Planetary Limits (3 ECTS) :

The goal of this module is to introduce students to the energy and environmental issues raised by the modern quest for economic growth and to map out the potential of the ecological transition. This series of courses is structured along three main axes: an introduction to environmental discourses on growth and limits; a zoom on the climate-energy-raw material nexus; a “map” of the possibilities for low-carbon economies.

M2 : Environmental observatory (3 ECTS) :

A 2 years long learning by doing research program, where student will be enrolled into environmental monitoring research activities.

M2 : Summer School : Mountains in a changing world (3 ECTS) :

This innovative program brings an interdisciplinary approach to the complex question of how climate change in mountainous regions affects both humans and nature. Combining methods and knowledge from the sciences, the humanities, and social sciences, this program welcomes students from all disciplines seeking novel, interdisciplinary approaches to complex questions like:

• Understand why mountains are defined as complex systems
• Understand why mountains are vulnerable targets for change
• Identify changes which are threatening this environment
• Describe potential effects of change on mountains
• Give key remediation perspectives
• Provide key trajectories for mountains facing changes
• Hydroelectric power plants threat and vulnerability

Doctoral schools involved

• École doctorale Sciences de l'Homme, du politique et du territoire
• École doctorale Sciences de la Terre, de l’environnement et des planètes
• École doctorale Chimie et sciences du vivant

To apply

Applications are open for the 2022-2023 academic year.

In order to finalize your application to this thematic program, please upload any letter of admission (or proof of application) for the Master's program to which you were admitted, as well as a CV or resume.