NIFK22002U Global Forests and People

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Programme in Environment and Development

MSc Programme in Global Environment and Development

MSc Programme in Forest and Nature Management

MSc Programme in Global Forestry (GLOFOR)

MSc Programme in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management (SUFONAMA)

Content

The course provides you with a people-oriented global approach to sustainable environmental resource management, combining readings with exercises and writing. Emphasis is on the relationships between people, environmental resource use, and conservation, with a particular focus on forests. The course offers a combination of guided readings, in-class discussions and exercises, online discussions and tests, as well as detailed essay feedback.

Central themes are:

  • Paradigms – what ideas and views guide forest use and conservation?
  • Livelihoods – how do people rely on forest products? What are the relationships between forests and human health?
  • Valuation – how can we put a price on forest products and make their importance to local people visible?
  • Forest cover – how much forest is there, and how do we know?
  • Deforestation – why do forests disappear, and what can be done?
  • Policies – what characterises policies? What global forest policies exist and why? Do policies work?
  • Sustainable forest management – can REDD, certification, or other instruments save the tropical and sub-tropical forests?

Additionally, the course offers guidance and exercises in essay writing.

Learning Outcome

This course provides an introduction to essential contemporary issues related to global forests. The aim is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the relationships between forests and people, such as the role of forest products in enhancing rural livelihoods. It is stressed that forest products are an integral part of society and should not be considered in isolation.

After finishing the course, the student is expected to be able to:

Knowledge:
Understand key contemporary issues in global forestry, including forest reliance, deforestation, the potential of using forest products to prevent and reduce poverty, the connections between forests and human health, forest product valuation methods, global forest policies and processes, and the potential of using market-based mechanisms to achieve sustainable forest management.

Skills:

  • Apply principles, theories, and frameworks to case studies.
  • Make a judgment on the quality of scientific publications.
  • Communicate clearly, concisely, and confidently in written format.


Competences:

  • Argue cogently and think critically within the parameters of a particular academic discipline.
  • Reflect on the role of forest products in poverty alleviation.
  • Demonstrate the values of scholarship: inquiry, reflection, integrity, open-mindedness, evidence-based thinking, and collegiality.
  • Tackle problems by collecting, analysing, and evaluating appropriate qualitative and quantitative information and using it creatively.

Course materials include selected scientific articles, book chapters, lecture notes, video clips, and slideshows. These are all accessible through the course homepage.

The course draws on basic elements of economic theory and management of renewable natural resources, all or part of which are introduced in a wide range of undergraduate programmes.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Teaching mainly involves lectures, discussions, exercises, and essay writing. Modules focus on integrating literature studies and exercises, including discussions mediated by faculty. Exercises focus on understanding the theory and applying it to real-world cases. Each student receives guidance on essay writing and detailed essay feedback.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 48
  • Preparation
  • 96
  • Project work
  • 62
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Continuous assessment
Type of assessment details
Students are assessed based on (i) their completion of exercises throughout the course (such as multiple-choice exercises) and (ii) through a teacher-commented essay.
The completion of exercises and essay counts 40% and 60%, respectively, towards the final mark. Students typically complete exercises each week and have around three weeks to prepare the essay.

The final grade is calculated as the above-accumulated sum (in percentage), and you pass if the average grade is 02 or above (equivalent to a total course score of a minimum of 50%).
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal censor
Re-exam

4-hour written assignment (take-home exam). The assignment will cut across the learning outcome of the course.

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome