Project of University Development Cooperation - Own Initiative 2007 - Integrated capacity building through research-based geopark

¿ Academic: To address insufficient academic feedback and support for sustainable karst landscape management and socio-economic development, by improving extension capacity and increasing integrated knowledge of the unique natural and social (including communication and decision making) conditions. ¿ Developmental: To address poverty reduction related to socio-economic adaptation and conservation problems by developing and implementing education and training in order to remedy insufficient capacity to elaborate alternative sustainable development strategies and to support local stakeholders in their decision making through knowledge-based, balanced development and conservation of nature

Academic: To increase capacity for academic feedback and support to alternative local development strategies at the partner institutes: strengthening interdisciplinary research capacity, educational and training capacity, as well as capacity for research-based extension to stakeholders levels (social learning and communication competency) through establishing the supporting framework for the creation and management of nature conservation areas (particularly geoparks). ¿ Developmental: To increase the knowledge and (social and technical) competences of local stakeholders for envisaging and building an alternative road to development by establishing the supporting framework for the creation and management of geoparks in karst areas of three North-Eastern Vietnamese provinces.