Environmental Governance (MEG)

The concept of sustainable development and the concomitant notion of sustainability have become fundamental principles of action in politics and society. Similarly, in the field of economics, a commitment to the principles of sustainability has emerged as a central strategic competitive advantage for companies. One of the key challenges to implementing the overarching concept of sustainable development is the need for effective governance processes between the diverse stakeholders. The MSc programme in Environmental Governance (MEG) addresses this particular need. Since its establishment in 2005, it has been training academics in the broader field of Environmental Governance, understood as new modes of social coordination between market, state, and civil society actors. With that, the MEG aims to fill the gap between technically oriented environmental management programmes and purely disciplinary environmental politics programmes. MEG is exceptional in its highly interdisciplinary approach. At its core, the programme is a social science programme in nature, provides students with basic scientific literacy in the more technical aspects of pressing environmental challenges. The MEG programme is a two-year (four semester), full-time programme (120 ECTS) and aims to guide students towards: Realising the development of a sound knowledge base of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet and their underlying societal causes Understanding the reflection on human-environment interactions from a wide spectrum of disciplines, approaches and world views Managing the provision of methodological knowledge and skills for the context-sensitive design and management of environmental governance processes Target Group: The programme has been designed for graduates and young professionals with a diverse range of academic backgrounds. It seeks applicants who are receptive to the intricacies of complex environmental problems and inclined to engage with novel perspectives and viewpoints. It is expected that students will show a keen interest in working with and learning from a diverse group of fellow students, hailing from over 20 different nationalities and representing a wide range of backgrounds. The MEG programme employs a selective admission process based on criteria of academic excellence and geographical representation (encompassing industrialised countries, countries in transition and developing countries as well as geographic regions). The curriculum places a significant emphasis on social sciences, yet the programme remains open to practitioners and students with a background in engineering or the natural sciences. However, these students must demonstrate a high level of motivation and a willingness to dedicate large parts of their two-year studies to social science theories and concepts.