Asia-Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism (AP-FECM)
Forests in the Asia-Pacific region serve nearly half of the global population. More than five million people work in the forestry sector in this region. However, the region’s forests face mounting challenges, such as a decline in forest cover, loss of biodiversity, damage to forest ecosystems and reduced ecosystem stability and resilience. To address these challenges, an improved and more innovative team of forestry practitioners is critical, and post-secondary forestry education and training will play a key role in creating this team. It will require closer linkages and synergies among forestry institutions and forest-related organizations in our increasingly globalized world.
Initiated by the University of British Columbia and Beijing Forestry University, supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation and many others, the Asia Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism (AP-FECM) (former name: the Forestry College Deans Meeting Mechanism in the Asia-Pacific Region) was proposed during the First Forestry College Deans Meeting in 2010 and formally launched in the second meeting in 2011. Its objective is to develop concrete activities in support of the reform and improvement of forestry education in the region. In the past ten years, APFECM has received many major awards national and international awards, such as the IUFRO Forestry Education Award in 2019.
Events
New Members!
We are delighted to celebrate the Faculty of Forestry, Agriculture and Forestry University (Nepal) and the Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University (Nepal) as the newest members of the AP-FECM. Their inclusion marks an exciting milestone in strengthening regional collaboration and advancing forestry education, research, and sustainable resource management.
These distinguished institutions have a long-standing dedication to cultivating future leaders in forestry and natural resource conservation. Their participation enriches the AP-FECM network with invaluable expertise, innovative approaches, and cultural diversity. This partnership opens new avenues for knowledge exchange and capacity building across Asia and the Pacific, reinforcing our collective commitment to promoting resilient and sustainable forest landscapes for generations to come. Together, we look forward to a brighter future in forestry education and effective resource stewardship.
Applications Open! 2025 AYSA Three Minute Thesis Competition
Applications for the 2025 AYSA Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition are now open. Senior undergraduate and graduate students in the Asia-Pacific region are invited to showcase their research in a concise, engaging three-minute format for a chance to win top prizes.
Participants are encouraged to present on topics that align with one of the following themes:
1) Forest resources management
2) Biodiversity and Ecosystem
3) Wood Science, Bio-based Materials, Bio-Products, and Bioenergy.
The registration and submission deadline: October. 26, 2025 at 11:59 pm PT. Check out the 2025 AYSA Three Minute Thesis Competition webpage for application details.
AP-FECM 2025 September Webinar
Title: Teaching in an age of climate anxiety: Pedagogies of care, hope, and agency in the classroom
Time: PDT (Vancouver)
Speaker: Dr. Fernanda Tomaselli, Assistant Professor of Teaching and Director Land One Program, University of British Columbia
Zoom link:
Silver Lining for Learning TV show on “Innovative Sustainable Forest Management Education in the Asia-Pacific Region”
A joint educational online program entitled Innovative Sustainable Forest Management Education in the Asia-Pacific Region (https://apfecm.forestry.ubc.ca/sfm-online-courses/), which began its development in 2014 is a series of fifteen online courses in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) with its content as Open Educational Resources (OER). Sponsored by Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet), under the framework of the Asia Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism (AP-FECM), the program has been led by the UBC Faculty of Forestry in partnership with Beijing Forestry University (BFU), University of Melbourne (UM), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), University of Florida and UBC Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (UBC CTLT). The goal of the program is to improve access to education in the field of SFM, targeting the enhancement of teaching quality, curriculum and research capacity among forestry universities, policymakers and practitioners in the Asia Pacific region.
Since 2016, owing to the great efforts of leading professors and experts from internationally recognized universities around the world, the only SFM online program of its kind has provided world-class forestry education resources to more than 15,000 learners from over 130 international economies. As a result of tremendous efforts we have made in Sustainable Forest Management Education in the Asia Pacific region, the AP-FECM Executive Office at UBC was invited to attend the “Silver Lining for Learning” TV show and introduce the achievements we have made on the SFM education. Hosted by a group of world-class education experts, “Silver Lining for Learning” is an ongoing conversation on the future of learning with educators and education leaders from across the globe.
Join the show with the program team to hear the stories about how the program paved its way through a team-based approach from an initial self-directed OER learning program, to a current credentialed certificate degree program, and to a future Master’s degree program in Forestry.
If there is any issue with getting access to the video above, please click the link below for watching the show.
Best Practices In Forest Education – Winner
On March 21st, 2019 – also known as International Forestry Day – AP-FECM is the winner of the Global Competition on Best Practices in Forest Education organized by the Joint IUFRO-IFSA Task Force on Forest Education. In the competition, our program was one of the 71 participants, representing a total of 23 economies and ranging from primary to tertiary education. Although we are extremely grateful for this recognition as it is the result of our hard work and our commitment to enhancing sustainable forest management, we are also thrilled to see the success of this competition. Congratulations to all participants!
AP-FECM’s goal of promoting forestry education in the Asia Pacific region and making knowledge accessible to more people is reflected in the online program: through our 5 existing online courses and with the 10 new ones being developed, students, faculty members and professionals from around the world are able to learn, share and update their knowledge and build a professional network. This has been thrilling for us and we can’t wait to launch our next online courses.
Thank you to everyone for joining our network and making our initiative the Best Practice in Forest Education!