COAST- Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research
Development Cooperation
© [Kilian Köbrich] / [COAST]
International development cooperation today has to cope with many folded challenges like, poverty reduction, food security and improvement of nutrition quality, resource protection and health improvement. This happens against the background of scarce, unequally distributed resources, climate change, land degradation, unequal market opportunities and international as well as regional conflicts. Thereby focus must be set on regional conditions and global inequalities. Research as well as the development of concepts and measures therefore needs the collaboration of different sectors and disciplines and international cooperation. Based on long standing co-operations COAST comes with a partner network in Asia, Latin America and in particular with Southern and Eastern Africa.
Topics:
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Food production
- Climate change / climate change adaptation
- Resource distribution / resource protection
- Land ownership / land distribution
COAST works on these topics in trans- and interdisciplinary contexts e.g. research group “green land research” Arbeitskreis Grünlandforschung and in close cooperation with the above mentioned universities and partners in the global South, especially in Africa.
Running Projects
Completed Projects
Running Projects
CERM-ESA
Centre of Excellence for Educational Research Methods and Management in East and South Africa
Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Project Duration: June 2014 - December 2019
Institutions: CENTOS
Completed Projects

ELECTRA
Enhancing Learning in ENPI Countries through Clean Technologies and Research Related Activities
Funding body: EU - Erasmus Mundus Action 2
Main focus: The ELECTRA project attempts to bring closer cooperation between EU and ENPI countries so as to increase research and produce multiplier effects in areas related to Green Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development.
Project duration: 2013 - 2016
Institutions: CENTOS

eureka SD
Enhancing University Research and Education in Areas Useful for Sustainable Development
Funding body: EU - Erasmus Mundus Action 2
Main focus: Eureka SD is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project coordinated by the University of Oldenburg. It offers 315 mobilities for students and staff to undertake periods of study, teaching, research or training at partner universities located in the participating European and Latin American countries. Each mobility will have a strong focus on topics related to sustainable development.
Project duration: July 2013 - July 2017
Institutions: CENTOS

CIBELES
Curriculum Invoking Bologna-aligned Education Leading to reform in Environmental Studies
Funding body: EU - TEMPUS IV
Main focus: The CIBELES project aims at professionalizing Higher Education and particularly environmental studies within three areas of specialisation through the implementation of the Bologna Process at all three levels, BA-MA and PhD. It will foster as well the cooperation between EU and Central Asia in the field of environmental studies and prepare future managers and specialists in Central Asia in order to protect in a more effective way their environment.
Project duration: October 2010 - October 2013
Institutions: CENTOS

Clim-A-Net
The North-South-Network on Climate Proofing of Vulnerable Regions
Funding body: DAAD
Main focus: Interdisciplinary cooperation project for adaptation strategies to climate change between the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (UO), the Tanzanian University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the South African Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Project duration: November 2010 - December 2014
Institutions: COAST

DASIK
Developing and Strengthening Industry-driven Knowledge-transfer between developing Countries
Funding body: DAAD, BMZ
Main focus: The main objective of the DASIK project is to develop and conduct intense training courses in current ICT-related research fields in order to generate a transfer of knowledge between the members of the participating partner institutions.
Project duration: August 2012 - January 2015
Institutions: CENTOS

DEEBIS-Net
PhD Education in Environmental and Business Information Systems
Funding body: DAAD
Main focus: DEEBIS-Net (Doctoral Education in Environmental and Business Information Systems) is a bi-national PhD-Programme in the field of Business Information Systems / VLBA and Environmental Management Information Systems and is funded by the DAAD. Cooperating partners are the University Oldenburg (Chair of Business Information Systems I / VLBA) and two cuban Universities (Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría, CUJAE, Havanna and Universidad Central de las Villas (UCLV) Santa Clara).
Project duration: August 2008 - December 2010
Institutions: CENTOS

Developing Sustainability
Interdisciplinary research network with universities in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Funding body: DAAD
Main focus: (Further) Development of inter-disciplinary teaching programs, research activities and institution building regarding sustainability at all partner institutions
Project duration: August 2009 – December 2013
Institutions: COAST

EISKE
Environmental Information Systems Knowledge Exchange Project
Funding body: n/a
Main focus: Research and education exchange between the University of Oldenburg and the Nelson Mandela University (South Africa) in the field of environmental information systems and sustainability reporting.
Project duration: May 2011 - April 2013
Institutions: CENTOS

EMIS Subsahara
Enhancing Learning in ENPI Countries through Clean Technologies and Research Related Activities
Funding body: BMBF, DAAD
Main focus: Together with three partner universities in Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania, we are going to develop curricula for Study Programmes of Sustainable and Environmental Informatics. The development of curricula will be based upon surveys involving local enterprises as well as alumni of the respective universities, in order to create meaningful contents that accomodate both the importance of sustainable production and the employability of the graduates of the programme.
Project duration: January 2013 - December 2014
Institutions: CENTOS

TARGET
Transfer of Appropriate Requirements for Global Education and Technology
Funding body: EU - Erasmus Mundus Action 2
Main focus: Target is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project coordinated by the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. This multicountry project support the development of Higher Education in Central Asia as a top priority and will help to develop the economic situation and increase the life standard as a side effect.
Project duration: September 2010 – June 2014
Institutions: CENTOS

TARGET II
Transfer of Appropriate Requirements for Global Education and Technology II
Funding body: EU - Erasmus Mundus Action 2
Main focus: Target is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project coordinated by the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. It was elaborated based on the success of Target project and as a follow-up. This multicountry project support the development of Higher Education in Central Asia as a top priority and will help to develop the economic situation and increase the life standard as a side effect.
Project duration: September 2011 – June 2015
Institutions: CENTOS