Using Drones in Environmental Sciences

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The physical mobility part will be running from 2 to 6 June 2025 and will be held in Brasov, Romania.

Schedule of the physical part

The 5 days of intensive learning experiences (2-6 June 2025) focus on practical exercises, applications, and discussions. Teaching staff will give teaching input and lead smaller working groups dedicated to deepening the learning experiences.

These include:

• Drawing lessons from interdisciplinary theoretical approaches and problematizing them in terms of practicability (case studies about using drones)
• Building micro-projects related to using drones for different case studies
• Experimenting with drones in urban planning and management (air pollution, urban biodiversity, land use and land cover, urban climate)
• Meet stakeholders from local governments, NGOs, private companies, administrations, and citizens, and learn about their interests, needs, and recommendations for urban planning and management.
• Participating in excursions to analyze the challenges related to using the drones

Virtual part

The virtual part will be running from 1 February 2025 to 30 June 2025.

Schedule of the virtual part

• February 2025 - Virtual Course 1 – Introduction about drones as Robotics and Automatic System
• March 2025 - Course 2 – Legislation and rules related to drones
• April 2025 - Course 3 – Drones’ data collection and processing
• June 2025 -  Course 4 – Challenges of using drones for environmental science.

Requirements

This course is open to Master's and PhD students at CIVIS member universities with a background and/or interest in related fields e.g., Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Geography, Sociology, Economy, Urban Studies, or Technology, Remote Sensing, Environment, Urban Planning.

In order to follow the course a good knowledge of English is also required.

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

Students from CIVIS’ strategic partner universities in Africa cannot apply for participation in this course.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 31 October 2024, including:

• CV
• Motivation letter
• Level of english (B2-According to CEFR)
• Research project outlines

Students' applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Academic Background and Relevant Experience: Assessment of prior education, coursework, or professional experience related to environmental sciences, urban planning, or drone technology.
• Technical Skills: Evaluation of proficiency in geospatial technologies, data analysis, or related technical skills that would support success in the course.
• Motivation and Objectives: Clarity and relevance of the student's motivation for taking the course, including how it aligns with their academic or career goals.
• Problem-Solving Abilities: Demonstrated ability to think critically and apply problem-solving skills in environmental or urban contexts.
• Innovation and Creativity: Potential for innovative thinking and creativity in applying drone technology to environmental or urban planning challenges.
• Communication Skills: Strength of written and verbal communication skills as evidenced in the application materials, reflecting the ability to articulate ideas clearly and effectively.

Apply now

Assessment

Learning will take place around blended formats of online teaching and the 5-day meeting.

The assessment will be based on the following criteria:

• Students will have to prepare to engage with the core readings for the roundtables and the on-site course. They will be required to formulate questions for facilitating the discussions and hand them in via the learning hub. They will also do a group presentation on a real-world problem at the on-site meeting.
• Students will participate in the experimental use of tools and techniques and reflect on their experiences in a short position paper.
• Students will be asked to develop final documentation of their learning experience by contributing to the open repository (this could either be presentations, posters, podcasts, videos, or written reports). The teaching staff will advise students and examine the assignments. They will be evaluated according to each participating institution’s system.

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

GDPR Consent

The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.