The agreement was signed by Ursula Nopp-Mayr (Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity at BOKU) and Rudolf Knünz (entrepreneur and Honorary Consul for Bhutan in Austria). The scientific leadership team comprises Georg Gratzer (Professor of Mountain Forest Ecology at BOKU), Mathias Kirchner (Centre for Global Change and Sustainability at BOKU) and Tiger Sangay (Dean at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Forestry Research and Training in Bhutan).
The project, 'CAPFOR: Capacity Development in Bhutan's Forestry Sector — A Contribution to Guiding the Sector in Critical Times', aims to promote the long-term sustainable development of Bhutan's forestry sector through scientific training, international collaboration, and transdisciplinary research.
The focus is on:
- training young forestry experts;
- developing future-oriented strategies for sustainable forest management;
- addressing the challenges posed by the climate and biodiversity crises.
“Today, forests and forestry are caught between conflicting societal expectations worldwide, ranging from the increased production of timber as an alternative to fossil fuels, to the protection of biodiversity through reduced exploitation. These challenges are particularly evident in Bhutan. Together with our Bhutanese partners, we aim to use participatory and systems analysis approaches to develop solutions that best combine ecological, economic, and social requirements,” says Scientific Director Georg Gratzer, talking about the project.
As part of the project, six Bhutanese forestry professionals will complete the Mountain Forestry Master's programme at BOKU on a scholarship administered by the OeAD. In addition, a doctoral scholarship will be awarded. The research will focus on:
- participatory methods of systems analysis
- development of future scenarios for the Bhutanese forestry sector
On the day the contract was signed, an agreement was also signed with OeAD to facilitate the scholarships. The OeAD is delighted to support the scholarship holders with its services during their stay in Austria. Between 2013 and 2017, a large group of scholarship holders from Bhutan and Ethiopia were already supported by the OeAD on the initiative of Georg Gratzer. The current project is scheduled to run from October 2026 to September 2031.
At OeAD, we are excited about this initiative and the continuation of our long-standing collaboration with BOKU.
Further information can be found in the BOKU news release and the OeAD Scholarship Service Page
