Title: Opportunity and Obstacle in Higher Forestry Education: Lesson Learned from FRAME Project
Time: Tue. Dec 10, 2024, 6-7 PM PST (Vancouver)
Prof. Dr. Damrong Pipatwattanakul
Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Thailand
Watch on YouTube
Dr. Damrong Pipatwattanakul
Dr. Damrong Pipatwattanakul is a distinguished silviculture expert at the Dept of Silviculture, KU, Bangkok, Thailand. He earned his M.Sc. in Silviculture from KU in 1990 and a Doctor of Science in Agriculture and Forestry from the University of Helsinki, Finland in 1997. His research focuses on forest landscape restoration to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, tree seed technology to enhance reforestation efforts, and sustainable silvicultural practices. Committed to educational development in the Mekong Region, he fosters future forestry professionals and strengthens their capacity for sustainable forest management. His contributions significantly enhance curricula and teaching materials for sustainable forestry.
Abstract
His presentation examines the opportunities and obstacles encountered in higher forestry education through the lens of the FRAME (Forests, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Higher Education Cooperation in the Mekong Region) project, funded by ERASMUS+ from 2020 to 2023. The project’s general goal was to enhance domestic capacity for sustainable forest management and human livelihoods by strengthening the forest-related higher education systems in Laos and Thailand. Key initiatives included modernizing curricula, improving accessibility and internationalization, and developing innovative learning tools such as MOOCs and open-source ICT resources. The project successfully integrated training on pedagogy, with modern technologies into the Master of Science (MS) forestry programs and established upgraded facilities based on the Needs Assessment Report and funding agency criteria.
While the project provided significant opportunities for capacity building among teaching staff and fostered North-South-South cooperation through staff exchanges, challenges arose during implementation, particularly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic limited face-to-face interactions and hindered the effectiveness of many activities, which could have benefited from on-site engagement. Additionally, the complexity of designing effective learning outcome, teaching methods and evaluation measures presented further obstacles for capacity building in forestry education. This presentation ultimately highlights valuable lessons learned from the FRAME project that are relevant for future initiatives in higher forestry education development in the Mekong Region.