FOPER Forest Policy and Economics Education and Research

1. FOPER Forest Policy and Economics Education and Research

2. FOPER is a project supporting capacity cevelopment in South EastEurope region • Funded by the Finnish Government (grant 3,3 M €) • EFI contribution (0,6 M €) • Duration 2004 - 2008 • Geographical focus: • Croatia • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Serbia • Montenegro • Macedonia (FYROM) • Albania

3. Objective of FOPER • To strengthen the capacity of modern forest policy and economics education, training and research in the South East Europe region

4. In practice FOPER will aim to: • Establish a long-term training programme for SEE on forest policy science and forest economics consisting of: • an international MSc. course • short professional training courses • support research capacities 2) Strengthen the policy-science interphase in the region

5. MSc. course on Forest Policy and Economics • Startet in 2006, duration 2 years • Location of the training (Sarajevo and Belgrade) • 24 students from region • Internationally and nationally recognised degree • Twinning Teaching(leading teacher internationally recognised experts and one from the region) • Contents – modern forest policy and economics, international forest policy (+ supportive courses)

6. Science – policy interphase • Forest research should provide usefull information for ongoing forest policy processes. • Forest policy makers should promote research which is usefull for policy formulation. • Promotion of the interphase– sometimes do not work optimally in SEE either • Research projects on conflicts in each country • Symposium in March 2009, in Croatia, Dubrovnik

7. Why focus only on forest policy and economics? • SEE has a respectable tradition in technical forestry sciences • However, there is a significant lack of academic and professional capacity on modern forest policy science and modern forest economics • previous political regime • The societies are in transition: market economy, integration into Europe and EU

8. FOPER partners • EFI - coordination • Faculties of forestry • University of Belgrade • Agricultural University of Tirana • University of ”Sv. Kiril i Metodij”, Skopje • University of Sarajevo • University of Banja Luka Forest research institutes • Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, SR • Forest Research Institute, Jastrebarsko, HR • Forest and Pasture Research Institute, Tirana, ALB • International partners: United Nations University and University of Joensuu/Silva Network

9. Strategic approach of FOPER • Strong involvement of SEE partners in the implementation • Work through partnerships: • Established: IFSA • Potential: FAO, World Bank, others • Sustainability of training – search for a stable host and external funding beyond 2008 • Commitment of local organisations

10. Calendar of activities • MS course • Second semester is ongoing in Belgrade • Professional Training • Regional courses scheduled for B&H, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Croatia • Four general courses for training coordinators • Research projects (5) • Project proposals ready for contracting • Two trainings for researchers finished (methodological and SPSS)

11. For more information on FOPER • Project Management Team • Tomi Tuomasjukka and Mari Pitkänen • tomi.tuomasjukka@efi.int and mari.pitkanen@efi.int • or log on to: • www.efi.int/projects/FOPER