LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AT EESTI

MAAÜLIKOOL:FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Professor Dr Simon BellHead of Department

AIM OF LECTURE

• To look at the context in which our department is situated

• To present my vision for the future• To consider the major issues we face• To plan developments in teaching and

research• To look at ways to implement the vision

BUT FIRST: WHO AM I?

• I am a forester and a landscape architect from the UK

• I worked for 20 years in the British Forestry Commission before moving into academia at Edinburgh College of Art, where I am mainly a researcher.

• My involvement in the Baltics goes back 10 years

WHO AM I?

• I started giving short courses here in Tartu in 2002

• I joined the department in 2005, initially for 1 year as a dotsent but this was extended by 3 more years until September this year.

• In August I was elected professor

WHO AM I?

• I have published a number of textbooks and other papers.

• I have worked on projects or presenting training courses in USA, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Russia and Latvia.

• I have lectured to students in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Finland and Turkey

WHO AM I?

• My work has focused on thedevelopment of:

• Forest landscape planning and design• Outdoor recreation planning and design• Landscape and visual impact

assessment• Landscape characterisation

WHO AM I?

• My research has focused on:• People’s perceptions of and relationship

with landscape• Quality of life• Landscape and health• I also do some consultancy work in

various countries.

Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt Universitywww.openspace.eca.ac.uk openspace@eca.ac.uk

The research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments

THE WIDER CONTEXT

Traditional role of higher education institutions:

• teaching • knowledge exchange • civic engagement

THE KNOWLEDGE TRIANGLE

EDUCATION

INNOVATIONRESEARCH

ESTONIAN CONTEXT 1.

• The programme in Eesti Maaülikool is only one of several related programmes.

• Estonia is a small country with a small population yet takes in large numbers of students into all programmes.

• The market for landscape architects is limited, though there is potential for growth.

ESTONIAN CONTEXT 2.

• Competition between the different departments.

• Competition in the market from architects and others who claim to be able to do what we do.

• The demographic collapse of the Estonian school leaver population

ESTONIAN CONTEXT 3.

• The lack of a strong international integration – of students going out from or coming to Tartu and relatively low interchange of teachers or researchers.

• Estonia’s position in the eastern Baltic region is a potential strength to link with the neighbouring countries – Latvia, Finland and Russia

VISION• To establish our reputation as the

premier teaching and research department in Estonia, providing a modern, practical and professional education at all levels which is both broad and deep and which, while aimed to the future is also rooted in the values and traditions of the EMÜ and is seen at a European level as being a flagship department in the region.

SERVICES TO SOCIETY 1

• The department can offer advice, carry out special studies and research and supply problem solving services to national and local government, companies and community groups.

• To do so it needs to be strengthened.

SERVICES TO SOCIETY 2

• To establish an external advisory group from municipalities, NGOs and the practice sector.

• To establish an “Eastern Baltic Network of Landscape Architecture Schools”.

• To undertake publication of landscape materials.

• To continue to be fully engaged in ECLAS and Le:Notre.

SERVICES TO SOCIETY 3

• To raise public awareness of the contribution that landscape architecture can make to quality of life.

• To showcase the work of our students. • To engage more with the profession in

Estonia.

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 1

• Teaching is one of the core activities undertaken by any department of landscape architecture yet in many ways the study of the pedagogy of landscape architectural teaching is a field only recently beginning to be studied seriously in Europe.

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 2

• The course programme at EMÜ was thoroughly reviewed, revised and is still in the process of being implemented –the current 4th years are the first class to participate completely in the new programme.

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 3

• At the heart of landscape architecture teaching is the studio project, where students develop their design skills on realistic projects of many types –gardens, housing areas, public open space, quarry restoration, comprehensive planning and landscape character assessment, for example.

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 4

• Tasks in the development plan:• To “bed in” the new programme and

eliminate any teething problems• To develop a quality control system.• To improve the accommodation for

teaching including the studio space and facilities.

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 5

• To develop teaching capacity by providing training courses, mentoring and support activities.

• To improve the teaching materials available on the website in English, books in the library and other resources

• To develop and participate in e-learning opportunities via the Le:Notre project

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT 6• To become involved in more student

exchange programmes including more students visiting EMÜ from other countries (master programme in English).

• To increase exchange opportunities for teachers.

• To develop the possibility for part-time students to participate and obtain degrees.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 1

• Research in landscape architecture is not as strong as in many other disciplines.

• In the Eesti Maaülikool landscape research is yet to develop properly –until recently there has not been anyone with a PhD in landscape architecture.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 2

• There is at present no base funding for research to allow capacity to develop.

• However, several members of staff are pursuing PhDs, some in the Eesti Maaülikool and others registered elsewhere or receiving supervision from elsewhere.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 3

• There is also a need to focus on some key thematic areas for research.

• There is also the potential to become involved in larger projects such as those funded by the EU (FP7) or through regional funding initiatives.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 4

• Tasks in the development plan:• To obtain a level of base funding to

allow the development of further research

• To increase research capacity by developing expertise in a key number of research methodologies making use of the virtual landscape theatre.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 5

• To increase the number of PhD students in the department.

• To increase the number of research outputs (papers).

• To increase involvement in international research activities eg EU projects.

• To develop a centre of excellence in selected key research areas.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 7

• To develop strategic relationships with other research centres or institutions domestically and internationally

• To host an international research conference in 2011

IMPLEMENTATION 1

• Professor Simon Bell is overall head of the landscape architecture department and will be involved in the major strategic aspects.

• Professor Friedrich Kuhlmann will take responsibility for the development of the teaching plan supported by Lektor Anna-Liisa Unt and Lektor Merle Karro-Kalberg

IMPLEMENTATION 2

• Professor Mart Külvik will take responsibility for the development of the research plan supported by Lektor Peeter Vassiliev.

• International relations, the ERASMUS programme and exchange aspects will be coordinated by Lektor Kadri Maikov.

IMPLEMENTATION 3

• General day-to-day running of the department will continue to be the responsibility of Lektor Toomas Muru supported by Lektor Kadi Karro (and administrative staff).

• Dotsent Mari Nõmmela will continue to oversee and coordinate admissions and the presentations and assessment of the Bachelor and Master work.

IMPLEMENTATION 2010

• To establish the advisory group and to hold an initial meeting

• To establish the Eastern Baltic Landscape Architecture Schools Network and to host the first meeting (funds permitting)

• To participate in the Le:Notre TWO+ project and to attend the ECLAS conference in Istanbul.

IMPLEMENTATION 2010

• Visit to Alnarp and Copenhagen by the teaching group in order to develop better understanding of the way studio work is managed and assessed.

• Present the first Degree Show of the Master design projects at the end of the year.

IMPLEMENTATION 2010

• To obtain base funding for research• To participate in a bid for FP7 research

in partnership with other European universities and research institutes.

• To continue to develop the potential of the virtual landscape theatre as a research tool, undertaking some research using it.

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION