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There is renewed interest in the resilience of natural and managed ecosystems, especially in the uncertain climates of the future. This interest fits within broader concerns about the protection of biodiversity, impacts on human well being and potential benefits to the economy and society. Many biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the resilience of ecosystems. Since each factor rarely operates independently, research on complex ecosystems requires an understanding of interactive physical and biological processes. Any understanding of ecosystem resilience must therefore employ multidisciplinary approaches which, together, can evaluate ecosystem function.

 

Whilst agricultural ecosystems (agroecosystems) are a subset of more complex natural ecosystems, their investigation, understanding and management have rarely used common approaches. Whilst agriculture also includes socio-economic factors that determine the end-uses of parts of the ecosystem, any attempt to build agroecosystem resilience may benefit from a better understanding of ecosystem function.

 

The workshop speakers have been selected for their disciplinary expertise and/or their specialist knowledge of ecosystems of the SEA region. The mix of participants is unique and reflects multidisciplinary capacities in at least seven European and SEA countries. The objective of the meeting is to use this expertise to build critical mass around two `researchable challenges’ with specific reference to the SEA region.   

 

Challenge 1: How can use multidisciplinary approaches to quantify ecosystem function?

 

Challenge 2: How can an understanding of ecosystem function be applied to agroecosystems?

 

The workshop is designed to establish a `Community of Practice’ of researchers and stakeholders working with SEA ecosystems and agroecosystems.  

Venue: Nottingham Teaching Centre, Level 2, Chulan Tower, No 3 Jalan Conlay Kuala Lumpur.

A location map for the venue can be found at; http://www.nottingham.edu.my/AboutUs/MalaysiaCampus/CityTeachingCentre/Pages/default.aspx

 

Number of participants: 80-100

Target Audience: Representatives from Higher Education and research institutions, agencies interested in biodiversity assessment and management and agricultural systems, institutions seeking collaborations through EUFP7 Programme.

Registration: To register, please contact Deepa Kumari(deepa.kumari@nottingham.edu.my)

*Please note: numbers are strictly limited and will be available on a first come first served basis.

This workshop is sponsored by SEA-EU-NET and the British High Commission Singapore.

 

SEA-EU-NET is a project within the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme. The 4 year project started in January 2008 and currently has 25 key S&T institutions (17 participants and 8 additional members of the steering board) from Europe and Southeast Asia. The strategic objective of SEA-EU-NET is "integrating and strengthening the EU-ASEAN Science and Technology Dialogue through coordination and supporting activities”.

 

SEA-EU-NET actively increases the quality, quantity, profile and impact of bi-regional Science and Technology (S&T) cooperation between the ten member countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Member and Associated Member States of the European Union (EU). In particular, SEA-EU-NET aims to increase and strengthen SEA participation in the FP7 programmes (the EU’s funding programme for international research and development).

 

To increase participation in FP7, SEA-EU-NET supports ‘Specific International Cooperation Actions’ (SICAs) within thematic areas. Every thematic priority identified in FP7 must include dedicated international co-operation activities (SICAs), which also seek to address specific problems identified by “Third Countries/Regions.” Therefore, SEA-EU-NET seeks to identify topics of common interest and importance to both the SEA and EU, where both will benefit from co-operation. Co-operation is promoted through the organisation of several Thematic Workshops on an annual basis, with the objective of identifying topics of mutual interest.

 

One output of this workshop will be the production of a document containing duly justified proposals for SICAs for presentation to the EC. This document will provide validated input to the EC Programme Directorates on the S&T potentials of SEA and research topics of mutual EU – SEA interest, and further outline the specific needs of the partner countries.

 

 

The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings. The Malaysia Campus is a fully integrated branch campus of the University of Nottingham – the first of any British university outside the UK. In addition to a purpose-built campus at Semenyih, which houses the Faculties of Arts and Education, Engineering, Science and Social Sciences, the University has a dedicated teaching centre in the heart of KL where the workshop will be held.

 

 

 

0900-0930       Welcoming remarks, HE Vincent Piket, EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation

Welcome from the University of Nottingham  

                        Introduction to SEA-EU-NET and FP7

 

0930-1000       Presentation 1: Henrik Balslev, University of Aarhus, Denmark

 

1000-1030       Presentation 2: Geoffrey Gooch, Linkoping University, Sweden

 

1100-1130       Presentation 3: Saw Leng Guan, Forest Research Institute, Malaysia

 

1130-1200       Presentation 4: Kho Lip Khoon, Oxford University, UK

1200-1230       Presentation 5: Woon Weng Chuen, Forest Research Institute, Malaysia Conservation of biodiversity through improved forest planning tools

1230-1300       Presentation 6: Ferenc Jordan, University of Trento, Italy

 

 

1415-1445       Presentation 7: Keith Hamer, University of Leeds, UK

 

1445-1515       Presentation 8: Susan Page, University of Leicester, UK

 

1515-1545       Presentation 9: Sandra Rajmis, University of Gottingen, Germany

                         

 

1600-1630       Presentation 10: Richard Corlett, National University of Singapore

1630-1700       Presentation 11: Sayed Azam-Ali, University of Nottingham, Malaysia

                        Agroecosystem resilience in cropping systems of the future

 

1700-1730       Presentation 12: Markkus Eichhorn, University of Nottingham, UK

1730-1800       Concluding remarks and closing discussion