With support from the German Federal Government, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany), the International Center for Environmental Research (ICFER, Tiblsi/GE), the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education Foundation (ICARE, Eriwan/AR), and the Ganja Agribusiness Association (GABA, Ganja/AZ) offer the Opportunity for 10 scientists from Georgia, Azerbaijan or Armenia to participate in an international course on Socio-economic Tools for Integrated Conservation Planning in the Multi-Ethnic South Caucasus (March 5.-20. 2012) in Tbilisi and the Javakheti NP area and 6 Research Contracts (March 2012-December 2012) à 150 EURO/months + 50 EUR social benefits for successful applicants to the above course Requirements for applying to the course: (1) very good written and oral English language skills; (2) academic degree in conservation biology, agricultural economics, rural sociology/rural development, spatial planning, or similar; additional requirements for the research contracts (3) ability and willingness to work in a challenging international research project; (4) ability and willingness for extensive field research work in rural areas For successful participation in the course, Göttingen University’s PhD programme “Biodiversity and Society” will issue a certificate. The research contracts will be awarded for scientific reseach services with either a quantitative, a qualitative, or an institutional focus regarding information needs for interdisciplinary conservation planning in the border regions of either Georgia and Azerbaijan or Georgia and Armenia. The contracts require extensive field research work. Part of the remuneration will be paid quid-pro-quo in return to high quality primary data sampled by the participants. After the field research work, internationally renowned specialists will be available for a joint publication of the research results. The results of the studies will be used to generate the content of CIVICS, the Caucasian Virtual Center for Conservation Planniung and Science, and be supplied to national, regional and international actors in the field of biodiversity and conservation planning in the three Southern Caucasus countries. Please direct a detailed CV that indicates your academic performance in detail and provides references of you extramural work as one pdf file to Mr. Gia Abramia (E-mail: icfer@icfer.org) and Dr. Johanna Schott (E-mail: jschott@gwdg.de) DEADLINE: 1 February 2012

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