Rapid urban growth and sprawl in many developing regions, as well as the urban decline in the post-industrial developed world, place high demands on contemporary urban policymakers, managing authorities, and urban planners. While this is a huge challenge, the changing climate – especially in cities – places even greater demand on professionals to mitigate and adapt to climate change while enhancing the quality of life of urban dwellers.
The current multiplication of specialists cannot answer the core need for a professional with an overview of the issues of urban quality of life, with the ability to manage the development process and give leadership. Scientific knowledge about urban climate, pollution, ventilation and the implications of climate change needs to be integrated with urban planning and urban design while being mindful of practical planning and management barriers to implementation. Managing urban climate change in a sustainable manner is a vital need for the 21st Century and new professionals able to lead and manage this process are urgently needed.
In this context, launched in 2017, the two-year Master’s Degree program “Master in Urban Climate and Sustainability (MUrCS)” co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union aims at preparing the specialists with integrating thematic knowledge on three subject-specific streams (Planning and Management informed by adaptation and mitigation Science). It further links these into a coherent curriculum to produce the next generation of thought leaders able to manage urban climate change in a sustainable manner.
This 2-year Master in Urban Climate and Sustainability (MUrCS) reportedly gives you a critical understanding of the complexity of urban sustainability and the need for local action to combat global climate change, offers several professional pathways in leading sustainable urban climate change adaptation/mitigation, and enables you to operate in senior positions – in both the public and the private sectors – to lead sustainable and climate-oriented planning.
MUrCS is reportedly open for both existing urban professionals as well as those with multidisciplinary environmental backgrounds.
The program is coordinated by the Glasgow Caledonian University (UK) in partnership with LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the University of Huelva (Spain), and the University of Applied Sciences Dresden (Germany).
Application for 2023 is now open and all interested candidates can find more information about the program, eligibility criteria and access the application portal: https://murcs.eu/.
