First International Postgraduate Programme on LDN launches at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, Ghana

Land is one of the foremost natural resources. Sustainable land management is a prerequisite to unlocking land value and spurring economic development. It is of utmost importance to nurture future talents and specialists with the key expertise and know-how in this area. It is against this background that the postgraduate programmes at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) are born.

As a measure of capacity development, the postgraduate programmes serve several roles. They provide specialized knowledge and skills in this field of study to incubate a pool of future professionals. They also offer a gateway for individuals to engage in research and contribute to innovating new ideas and technologies in their field. Matching research topics with current use cases or problem statements on national level can improve reporting on and implementing LDN and provide the future professionals with hands on experiences.

Furthermore, these programmes create a platform and opportunity for enrolled individuals to network with other professionals in the field, including professors, researchers, and industry experts.

With the support of the GEO-LDN Flagship and UNCCD, UENR has designed the following international postgraduate programmes to address global land degradation issues and encourage synergies between national efforts:

• Master of Science in Land Degradation Neutrality (MSc. – LDN)
• Master of Philosophy in Land Degradation Neutrality (MPhil – LDN)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainable Land Management (PhD – SLM)

All of the three programmes have commenced in September 2023, alongside a scholarship scheme supported by a GIZ global project commissioned and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The programmes integrate emerging topics and trends in global land management to ensure that candidates are trained in state-of-the-art technologies and approaches that are equipped with up-to-date information. With the training and network offered by the postgraduate programmes, GEO-LDN wishes to witness aspiring LDN practitioners to lead changes and develop an insightful understanding into the necessary teamwork and information exchange on a national level to accelerate the work towards LDN and beyond.