Environmental challenges facing Danube River Basin

Explore new research experiences focused on environmental challenges facing the Danube River basin!

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CIVIS focus area
Climate, environment and energy
Open to
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Phd
  • PhD candidates/students
Field of studies
  • Business and Management
  • Computer Science and IT
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Agriculture
  • Law
  • Medicine and Health
  • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • Social Science and humanities
  • Environmental sciences, Urbanism, Geography
Type
  • Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates
1 April 2025 - 8 July 2025

The program is an evidence-based, student-centered approach aiming to engage students in research experiences focused on environmental challenges facing the Danube River basin. The program consists of two interconnected activities, online and on-site (in-field), in the Danube River basin region: the Iron Gates, Danube Gorges. Guided by professors, both online and in the field, students will work together in international groups to develop problem-solving skills necessary to address real-world sustainability challenges and make a positive difference in their communities. During the field activity, students will engage in experience-based activities, by travelling to research sites along the Danube River basin and working together with scientists to carry out research on various environmental sustainability issues, including: geomorphology and slope stability, socio-economic issues, water chemical and microbiological status and biodiversity conservation. The collaborative work across disciplines will provide students the opportunity to develop their interdisciplinary competencies needed for addressing today's sustainability challenges. 

Main topics addressed

The program provides to the students knowledge related to the following fields:

Introductory lectures (online), which will be delivered before the field research activity:

  • The Danube River Basin
  • Historical Evolution of Danube River Valley in its Lower Sector
  • Water Directive
  • Pollution and nutrients
  • Pollution sources and wastewater treatment
  • The River Continuum Concept and the microbiological quality of the Danube River
  • Faecal pollution and antibiotic resistance in rivers
  • Site description and Field strategies and related issues

Field research activity (face-to-face):

  • field and laboratory activities, data analysis, result interpretation, and science communication.

Post field component (online) consisting in lectures, seminars and mentoring activities:

- Seminar: "How to prepare a Presentation"? 

- Mentoring activities: Data analysis, Preparation of research reports and oral presentations.

- Lectures: "Role of climate change to Deltas e.g. Delta evolution due to climate change", "Climate change and precipitations (include modelling)", "Environmental imprint associated with digital devices and activities".

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the students will be able to:

  • Familiarize with the basic concepts and methodologies required for the assessment of the aquatic ecosystems’ health.
  • Elaborate evidence-based studies to identify environmental problems, and further advocate on environmental sustainability issues and recommend solutions for supporting the policy making process.
  • Understand a range of evaluative tools and methods available for measuring the impact of climate changes and anthropogenic stressors on the ecosystems’ health in general and of aquatic fluxes, in particular.
  • Critically reflect on environmental issues.
  • Demonstrate insight on the impacts of society on ecosystems and human beings and the need for (re)connecting people with the natural world.
  • Contribute to increasing awareness, propose initiatives and actions for promoting sustainability practices through education and outreach to stakeholders.
  • Students will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
Dates: 1 April 2025 - 8 July 2025 Total workload: 162 hours
Format: Blended ECTS: 6*
Location: Bucharest, Romania Language: English (B1)
Contact: luminita.marutescu@bio.unibuc.ro  

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The physical mobility part will be running from 12 to 16 May 2025 and will be held in Bucharest, Faculty of Biology (University of Bucharest) Orsova, Orsova Geographical Research Station Center Romania (University of Bucharest).

Schedule of the physical part

This course uses project-based learning. Students will collaborate to prepare interdisciplinary research projects focusing on the ecological, social, and economic issues that impact the Danube River basin.

The 1-week field experience will include:

  1. Hands-on and team-based field research related to the ecology, biodiversity of the Danube River, and social and economic issues
  2. Training in specific field methods related to the assigned research topic
  3. Participation in discussions with relevant stakeholders (local authorities, environmental protection agency, Orșova shipyard, Administration of the Iron Gates Natural Park Iron Gate) on environmental-related topics
  4. Museum visits topic-related (Iron Gates Hydropower I Museum)
  5. A post-field online project that encourages students to participate in environmental advocacy

Virtual part

The virtual part will be running from 1 April 2025 to 8 July 2025.

Moreover, the virtual component includes: pre-field (online course, spring semester 2025), field component (spring semester 2025), and post-field (online course, spring 2025). The pre-field introductory lectures will prepare students for the research activity. Before traveling, they will be familiarized with the research site, sampling strategies, methodologies, and various measured parameters: physical: pH, conductivity, oxygen, temperature; chemical: N species (total organic, inorganic), organic C (organic matter), metals, biological: invasive plant species, zoobenthos, microbial communities, pathogens; geomorphology, landscape, and soil evolution, GIS in field mapping. The post-field online component of the program will support students to engage in the preparation and communication of their multidisciplinary research results using their own data on environmental issues facing the Danube River basin and propose solutions for stakeholders. 

Requirements

This course is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students at CIVIS member universities with a background and/or interest in Natural Sciences, as well as in Humanities and Social Sciences applied to environmental research. There are no discipline entry requirements needed. 

- Students should have a good comprehension of English (B1) to follow the lectures. 

- A letter of recommendation signed by an academic from the student's home university is also considered an additional requirement.

- Research skills, content knowledge, critical thinking, data analysis and interpretation, professional and scientific communication (written and oral), teamwork, cultural competence, resilience, adaptability, self efficacy and confidence are also considered as desirable skills for the students in order to follow the course.

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.

This course is also open to students with the same academic profile, who are enrolled at a CIVIS strategic partner university in Africa. Please check here, if you can apply and this particular course is open to applications from your university. Successful applicants will receive an Erasmus+ grant covering travel and subsistence costs during their stay. Applicants should be willing to extend their stay at the host university for 1-3 weeks for additional research and/or training purposes. 

Application process

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

  • CV
  • Motivation letter

  • Level of English (According to CEFR)

Students' applications will be evaluated based on the personal statement and academic reference and also the academic potential, motivation, and core skills required for the program.

Apply now

Assessment

The assessment will be based on the following criteria:

• Student presentations (40%)

• Student research report (60%)

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.

  • Alain Veron, Senior Researcher in Environmental Geochemistry, CEREGE, Aix-Marseille Université
  • Isabelle George, Professor in Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Université libre de Bruxelles
  • Andreas Lang, Professor of Geomorphology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
  • Niki Evelpidou, Professor of Geomorphology and Geoinformatics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Anna Karkani, Researcher in Geology & Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Carmen Postolache, Professor of Environmental Sciences, University of Bucharest
  • Luminita Marutescu, Associate Professor in Microbial Ecology, University of Bucharest
  • Corina Bradu, Professor of Environmental Chemistry, University of Bucharest
  • Constatin Cazacu, Lecturer in Freshwater Biodiversity, University of Bucharest
  • Florina Botez, Teaching Assistant in Ecology and Biogeochemistry, University of Bucharest
  • Mihaela Verga, Lecturer of Geomorphology, University of Bucharest
  • Radu-Daniel Pintilii, Associate professor in Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest
  • Marian Marin, Associate Professor in Geography, University of Bucharest
  • Ada Roseti, President of the SciPublicForum Association, which offers communication courses for researchers and organizes the annual Games of Science program. She is a PhD student at the University of Bucharest, where she teaches a transversal course on Communication of research results hosted by the Simion Mehedinți Doctoral School of the Faculty of Geography
  • Isabelle Bernier, engineer, Professor of Applied Physics at the ENSAM Institute of Technology (Ministry of Education, France)
  • Mbaye Moussa, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques / Department of Chemistry, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (Senegal)
  • Diaw Abdou Karim Diagne, Professor, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (Senegal) 

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