Feasibility Study of the Post-graduate Program
POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT,
School of Civil Engineers, University of West Attica

Autonomous post-graduate program of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica

1. Scope

The post-graduate program POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, focuses on post-graduate level teaching and research on environmental policies within the realm of the European Union, with special emphasis on the case of Greece. The area of focus includes, without being limited to instruments of environmental policy implementation, implementation procedures and management of environmental protection practices.

2. Relevance of the curriculum of the post-graduate program in accordance with the under-graduate curriculum of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica

Based on both the curriculums, there is an unambiguous consistency between the under-graduate and the post-graduate program of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica. The post-graduate program expands and complements in a higher academic level approach the scientific subjects presented in the under-graduate curriculum. In particular, the courses of the post-graduate program include in depth analysis of issues mentioned during the under-graduate studies in the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica, either as separate courses or as parts of the existing under-graduate courses. Moreover, the post-graduate program offers also new courses relevant to the under-graduate program of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica.
Furthermore, in the newly revised under-graduate curriculum there is an evident environmental turn so as to keep up with the contemporary environmental concerns regarding the sector of constructions and its contribution to the ecological footprint of cities and urban agglomerations. In addition, existing under-graduate courses of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica, re-defined their scope so as to add the environmental dimension to the field of planning and design with a view to offer valuable knowledge on energy efficiency.
Apart from the apparent connection between the under-graduate and the post-graduate curriculum of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica, it is important to mention that all professionals coming from the field of Engineering in Greece, have permission to undertake environmental assessment studies for private and public projects. From this point of view, the establishment of a post-graduate program that focuses on this specific sector is of high significance since it offers all necessary research and professional skills for further application. Additionally, the establishment of the post-graduate program POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, is linked to real life professional experience in line with the international experience on the field of environmental policy making.

 

3. Validation of the establishment and feasibility of function of the post-graduate program POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

The purpose of this post-graduate program is to educate in higher academic level graduates of the School of Civil Engineers of the University of West Attica and graduates of other Universities with relevant curriculum. The area of focus is defined within the framework of environmental policy-making across different scales, being strongly connected to key-concepts, methodological instruments and implementation tools derived from the international experience. The in-depth analysis of these issues is considered to be the educational core of this post-graduate program, that differentiates the Program from other relevant post-graduate programs offered by other Greek universities. Great significance has been ascribed to the implementation of all these issues so as to offer a balanced combination of theoretical and practical experience. The post-graduate program POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, is self-funded not dependent on government funding.
In addition, the ultimate purpose of this post-graduate program is to provide high-expertise scientists able to participate in environmental assessment studies and other relevant projects, covering the increasing demand for special knowledge in the field of environmental policy making, including all scales of planning and design. In particular, the graduates of the post-graduate program will be eligible to undertake studies of preliminary environmental assessment, special urban planning projects, regional and strategic planning projects (category 27 according to relevant Greek legislation), to provide environmental inspector services and consultation on environmental impacts of a variety of projects.  Graduates of the post-graduate program may find suitable employment positions at EU organizations, national councils, consultant engineer companies etc.
Based on existing national legislation, law Ν.3685/2008, article 6, paragraph 4, active during 2013, the year of the first establishment of the post-graduate program, emphasis was given on the environmental aspect of all projects, with the view to protect natural environment and places of high cultural significance. From this point of view, the establishment of a relevant post-graduate program will further support the effort on improving environmental awareness in the sector of constructions.
Attendance to the post-graduate program may enhance the professional and academic skills of a variety of scientists, expanding the range of their employment prospects. Graduates of the post-graduate program will be able to successfully respond to the challenges of the ever-changing working environments of our contemporary times. Being equipped with practical and theoretical knowledge, graduates will be able to implement their newly acquired skills on any relevant project, with the view to offer environmentally friendly solutions.
Finally, the interdisciplinary character of the post-graduate program, referring not only to the attendees but also to the instructors, offers a fruitful field for scientific dialog among scientists of different disciplines, covering the gap between industry and academia. Nonetheless, the post-graduate program POLICIES AND APPLIED METHODS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT offers the possibility for synergies among universities, research centers and public organizations through research programs, doctoral and post-doctoral research.

 

 

The director of the post-graduate program and author of the establishment proposal of the post-graduate program

George K. Varelidis,

Dr. Architect- Urban Planner NTUA

Full Professor, University of West Attica
School of Civil Engineering