Introduction to the FORSU Project

Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) emerged as a key approach in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-30), which aims to scale up the restoration of degraded ecosystems to combat the climate crisis while enhancing and protecting livelihoods, food security, water, and biodiversity. Global support to strengthen and fund forest and other ecosystem restoration faces a major challenge: the mismatch between the opportunities for restoration and the capacity (knowledge and skills) needed to support it. Bangladesh and Vietnam are among the most vulnerable countries to climate change and have a range of policies and programs to promote and scale up FLR. To strengthen the capacity of partner higher education institutions (HEIs) to contribute to well-functioning, relevant, and accessible FLR education to meet the needs of graduates, employers, and other stakeholders, for the broader benefit of the environment and society, the project named Higher Education Cooperation for Forest Landscape Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Bangladesh and Vietnam (FORSU) has been funded by the European Union for partners in Bangladesh and Vietnam, including Tay Nguyen University.

The FORSU project is a collaborative initiative funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), operating under the delegated authority of the European Commission. This project brings together a diverse consortium of educational institutions from Europe and Asia, with the aim of fostering innovation and enhancing educational practices through international cooperation.

The consortium is led by the coordinator, the University of Helsinki (UH) in Finland. The partnership extends to several esteemed institutions, including Freiburg University (ALU-FR) in Germany; Rangamati Science and Technology University (RMSTU) in Bangladesh; Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) in Bangladesh; Tay Nguyen University (TNU) in Vietnam; Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) in Vietnam; and Hue University (HU) in Vietnam.

Through this collaboration, FORSU aims to address critical educational challenges, particularly in the context of climate change education, and to promote sustainable development across participating regions. The project leverages the expertise and resources of each partner to achieve its goals, ensuring a wide-reaching and impactful contribution to global education.