ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT

1

• ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT
• ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY OF IASI -
• ROMANIA
• by Naela Costica Ioan Manuel Ciumasu,
• Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of
  Biology

2
IASI, ROMANIA, THE PALACE OF CULTURE (style
neogotic flamboyant)
3
ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY, IASI, ROMANIA
4
ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY

• Location Iasi city, NE Romania, 350.000
  inhabitants, second largest city of the country,
  and main cultural centre
• History the oldest university in the country
  (founded 1860)
• Academic staff 900
• Students 25.000
• Faculties 15 (all fundamental disciplines)
• Specialization 80 (at BSc, MSc and PhD levels)

5
Natural Environment and Ecosystem Preservation
Didactic and Research Activities

• Faculty of Biology (mainly)
• Faculty of Geography and Geology
• Faculty of Chemistry
• Faculty of Physics.

6
Faculty of Biology

• Academic staff 62
• Students 1018
• Departments (chairs)
• Plant Biology
• Zoology and Ecology
• Molecular and Experimental Biology

7
Faculty of Biology Bachelor of Science - BSc

• 6 semesters, Bologna system, in
• Biology
• Ecology and environment protection
• Biochemistry

8
Faculty of Biology Master of Science - MSc

• 4 semesters, Bologna system, in
• 1. Biodiversity and productivity of ecosystems
• Biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic
  ecosystems
• Natural Resources
• Degradation and restoration of ecosystems
• Methods of environmental monitoring and
  evaluation
• Management of environmental projects
• 2. Microbial and cellular biotechnologies
• 3. Plant protection
• 4. Molecular genetics
• 5. Conservation of the historical patrimony
• 6. Bio-methods in agriculture and food processing

9
Faculty of Biology A new MSc specialization

• Environmental consultancy
• Nature conservation
• Environmental impacts
• Environment and risks management
• Ecosystem restoration
• Economy and environmental protection
• Environmental politics
• Legislation
• Ecological tourism
• Environmental ethics
• Environmental education
• Management of environmental projects

10
Faculty of Biology Philosophy Doctor - PhD

• 6 semesters, Bologna system, in
• Entomology
• Ornithology
• Mammalian Studies
• Plant Biology and Taxonomy
• Phytocoenology (Phytosociology)
• Mycology
• Genetics
• Biochemistry

11
Faculty of Biology Research areas

• Ecology (including biodiversity)
• Environmental analyses and management
• Biological and integrated pest control
• Biotechnologies
• Cell biology
• Anatomy, cytology, histology
• Plant and animal physiology
• Genetics
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics

12
Faculty of Biology Teaching and research
facilities

• University laboratories and lecture rooms
• Anastasie Fatu Botanical Garden of Iasi
  (founded 1856,
• 100 ha in all, 3800 m2 of greenhouses)
• Museum of Natural History of Iasi (founded 1834,
• a collection of over 300.000 specimens)
• University herbarium 250.000 specimens
• Research station in Agigea (on the Black Sea
  coast)
• Potoci (Bicaz) and Piatra Neamt (Eastern
  Carpathians)

13
Faculty of Geology and Geography

• Among 6 departments, one is Environmental
  Geography
• Degrees in the environmental area
• Bachelor of Science - BSc
• Environmental Geography
• Geo-chemistry and Natural Resources
• Master of Science - MSc
• Present Environment and Sustainable Development
• Philosophy Doctor PhD
• Natural Science

14
Faculty of Geology and geography Teaching and
research facilities

• University laboratories and lecture rooms
• Centre for Research in Physical Geography and
  Pedology
• The Ion Gugiuman Field Research Station
• (Rarau Mountain, Eastern Carpathians )
• The Simion Mehedinti Field Research Station
• (Tulnici, Eastern Carpathians)

15
Other Faculties

• Faculty of Chemistry
• MSc in Environmental Chemistry
• Faculty of Physics
• MSc in Physics and Environment protection

16
RESEARCH in 2005 general lines. Faculty of
Biology

• Research Programs funded by National Council of
  Scientific Research in Higher Education
• Impact of anthropogenic factor and global changes
  on ecosystems
• Biodiversity monitoring and modelling
• Environmental monitoring of protected / sensitive
  areas
• Bio-indices in water quality monitoring

17
RESEARCH in 2005 general lines. Faculty of
Geology and Geography

• Research Programs funded by National Council of
  Scientific Research in Higher Education
• Over-exploitation of soils in Eastern Carpathians
• Urban soils in context of sustainable development
• Wetlands in the context of global climatic
  changes Sustainable administration and
  conservation of hydro-ecosystems
• Climatic risks

18
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Biology (1)

• Within the National Program Research of
  Excellency CEEX, Complex research-development
  projects
• Centre of Expertise for the Sustainable
  Exploitation of Ecosystems CEXDUREC,
• with a large pilot study (case study)
• Terrestrials and aquatic peri-urban ecosystems
  in the catchment basin of Ciric River, north of
  Iasi city

19
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Biology (2)

• Within the National Program Research of
  Excellency CEEX, Complex research-development
  projects
• Utilization of morphological, structural,
  ultra-structural and biochemical markers in
  assessment of the anthropogenic impact on the
  biodiversity in National Park-Ceahlau and its
  surrounding area.

20
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Biology (3)

• Within the program Environmental Science and
  Technology in Romania ESTROM (by the Swiss
  National Science Foundation)
• Chemical, biological and eco-toxicological
  assessment of the persistent organic pollutants
  in the Bahlui River

21
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Biology (4)

• Within the EU program LEONARDO DA VINCI
  Community Vocational Training Action Program,
  Second phase (2000-2006), pilot project
• European Curriculum for Methodological Training
  in the field of Ecological Education
• Which includes the establishment of an European
  Centre for Training the Trainers in the field of
  Ecological Education

22
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Chemistry (1)

• Within Programs related to the National Plan of
  Research-Development and Innovation, INFRAS
• Creating an infrastructure for monitoring and
  bio-monitoring of toxic compounds in the
  environment and their effects on the organisms.
  Accrediting a laboratory for analyses of heavy
  metals and persistent organic pollutants

23
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Chemistry (2)

• Within the Marie Curie frame (FP6)
• Monitoring of toxic polutans in rural, urban,
  and industrial atmosphere in the Iasi region
• Within the NATO, RIG 981695
• Trace element pollution monitoring of the River
  Prut, Romania-Moldavia

24
Representative current research projects. Faculty
of Physics

• Within the NoE frame (FP6)
• Integration of European simulation chambers for
  investigating atmospheric processes

25
Newly established Research Centers, Faculty of
Biology

• 1. Center of Expertise for the Sustainable
  Exploitation of Ecosystems CEXDUREC (since
  2005)
• 2. Impact of anthropogenic factors upon
  biodiversity of ecosystems (since 2001)
• 3. Biodiversity, biology and utilization of
  insect predators in pest biological control
  (since 2005)
• 4. Biochemistry and genetics of microbial and
  vegetal cells (since 2001)

26
Major research, networking collaboration
interests main lines

• Joint proposals and implementations of research
  projects
• Joint publication of research in international
  journals
• Best practice exchange in the field of curricula
  content and teaching methodology in university
  ecological education
• Regional summer schools of common field
  application with the students in station or
  research centers from partner countries.

27
Major research, networking collaboration
interests proposed examples (1)

• Joint applications for EU projects (FP7) by the
  Centre of Expertise for the Sustainable
  Exploitation of Ecosystems CEXDUREC
• Biodiversity study (including effects of climatic
  and global changes) and management
• Biology and ecology of freshwater, soil, and
  marine algae (and other organisms), particularly
  for environmental analysis we are currently
  developing a laboratory of biological methods
  (bioassays and biosensors) for the ecological
  risk assessment of pollutants, using algae and
  invertebrates
• Ecosystem management on the basis of sound
  ecological knowledge (under the concept of
  sustainable development and sustainable
  exploitation of ecosystems)

28
Major research, networking collaboration
interests proposed examples (2)

• Further Development of activities by the European
  Centre for Training the Trainers in the field of
  Ecological Education ECTTEE
• to create a wide European network that would
  efficiently create positive public attitudes
  toward environmental issues and sustainable
  patterns of exploitation of nature
• to involve experts trying to continuously improve
  the European curricula in the field of EE (formal
  and non formal EE)
• to initiate further collaborators for writing
  together projects fundable through the European
  institutions
• The Central Question How to make ecological
  problems in the environment and ecological
  research more relevant for the public and for the
  environmental managers and stakeholders?

29
ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY, IASI,
ROMANIA Thank you, and hoping for the best!