PE-Net: Support to the Political Ecology Group (NMBU) and Norwegian Political Ecology Network (POLLEN-Norway)

This project aims to strengthen the Political Ecology Forum at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) (see politicalecology.space), which is accomplished through direct support to activities within this group, by strengthening connections between the Forum and the broader Norwegian Political Ecology Network (POLLEN-Norway), and through the organisation of PhD courses within this network. The project is a follow up of the SAMEVAL evaluation and it will support further academic development and renewal of political ecology work at NMBU as part of both POLLEN-Norway and the broader international political ecology network POLLEN. Instead of being a research group the Political Ecology Forum aims at becoming a meeting place at the faculty and university level for issues of environment, development and politics. In this way, the project provides an opportunity to further strengthen political ecology research at NMBU. The project builds on previous collaborations within the Norwegian political ecology network within the international community of political ecologists in POLLEN. This is done through co-organisation of four PhD courses and the organisation of a series of high-profile public seminars. In addition, the project will support political ecologists at NMBU through the organisation of regular internal academic seminars and support to international network building through institutional visits and conference participation.

This project aims to strengthen the Political Ecology Group (PEG) at the Faculty of Landscape and Society at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), which will be accomplished through direct support to activities within this group, by strengthening connections between the PEG and the broader Norwegian Political Ecology Network (POLLEN-Norway), and through the organisation of PhD courses within this network. The project is a follow up of the SAMEVAL evaluation that PEG participated in and it will support further academic development and renewal of this group as part of both POLLEN-Norway and the broader international political ecology network called POLLEN. The PEG at the Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric) at NMBU has existed since 1999, but more as an informal entity. Political ecology has, however, remained one of the key theoretical approaches at the department during the last 15-20 years. Instead of being a research group at the department level, PEG will now aim at becoming a meeting place or forum at the faculty and university level for issues of environment, development and politics. This proposal will provide an opportunity to further strengthen political ecology research at NMBU and to help formalise this group within the faculty. The proposal builds on previous collaborations to further develop PEG and the Norwegian political ecology network within the international community of political ecologists in POLLEN. This will be done through co-organisation of four PhD courses and the organisation of a series of high-profile public seminars in Oslo. In addition, the proposed project will support internal development of the PE group at NMBU through the organisation of regular internal academic seminars and hosting an internationally recognised political ecology scholar as a Visiting Professor.