Our Courses

Physical-based Modelling of Land Degradation Processes
This summer school offers two separate course options, introducing the participants either to soil erosion or atmosphere-hydrology modelling. The aim is to provide participants the foundation to start their own research.
Agroforestry in Temperate and Dryland Ecosystems
This course offers an introduction to agroforestry systems as an innovative and flexible approach to land management in temperate and dryland ecosystems. It is aimed at participants with basic knowledge in natural science and land management.
Eddy Covariance Flux Measurements Winter School
This course focusses on greenhouse gas monitoring in Africa, with particular attention on measurement techniques. Various hands-on sessions are offered on the setting up of Eddy Covariance flux measurement instruments, as well as data handling and processing.
Training Workshop APSIM Advanced and Dynamic Vegetation Modelling
This course teaches advanced modelling of agroecosystem services for sustainable rural development under global change. Participants will learn the principles of process-based crop simulation models (CSMs) and dynamic vegetation models (DVMs), with practical case studies and applications.
Short Course on Agent-Based Modelling & Simulation
This course will offer an overview on agent-based modelling and how/when it is applied. Participants will learn to design and implement basic models using the MARS framework. Specific course content will be tailored according to participant needs.
Introduction to Ecological Modelling (in NetLogo)
This summer school uses the open-source agent-based modelling framework NetLogo. It offers an introduction into the basics of conceptual development, technical implementation, final evaluation and analysis of process-based models. The course is suited to participants with no prior experience in simulation modelling.
Rapid Ecosystem Function Assessment (REFA) in Savanna Ecosystem in Limpopo
This course teaches the assessment of savanna ecosystem functioning at sites under different land-uses in and around a local village. Lectures combined with field work, lab work and data analysis give full exposure to the steps of a research project.
Field methods for plant ecology
This course teaches basic field methods for plant ecology via a series of structured field data collection and analysis exercises. It is embedded in the strategic adaptive management philosophy of and takes place at the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Sentinel-1B image acquired on the 5th of April 2018 over Semera in northeast Ethiopia
Summer School on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Remote Sensing
This course will teach the basics and applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing for environmental monitoring. It will feature a mixture of theory lessons and corresponding practical tutorials.
Ger-Nam student-tandem from an OPTIMASS Tandem-Thesis-project
Intercultural Competences and Communication