2023 School

The 10-day school, which is co-organised with the CONFER EU project, was held at the Kongoni Lodge in Naivasha, Kenya from 31 October to 9 November 2023. Naivasha is roughly three hours from Nairobi and a place of stunning natural beauty, including Hell’s Gate National Park and the Mount Longonot volcanic crater. Scroll down for more information.

Who could apply?

PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, early-career researchers, practitioners (e.g., employees at relevant government or non-governmental agencies and private sector employees) who are engaged with, working in a sector threatened by, or generally interested in learning about, climate risk, resilience and adaptation. Other applications (from, e.g., Master's students) will be considered on an individual basis if there is space (admission is competitive). Note that we aim for a transdisciplinary cohort with a rough 50/50 balance of participants from Africa and elsewhere, and an equitable gender balance.

Cost

The course will be free of charge for eligible, selected students. Full board accommodation, activities (National Park visit, etc.), and return transport Nairobi - Naivasha are covered.

Not covered: Travel costs to Nairobi before the course and from Nairobi after the course, visa costs, insurance, and airport transfers. However, it is possible to apply for one of a limited number of stipends to cover these costs using the application form.

Practical details

The course will be conducted in English. The school has a duration of 10 days with a mix of lectures, project assignments, activities, free time and outings. Both prior to the school and after the event, students will engage with lecturers and follow up assignments and seminars are anticipated. 100% attendance is expected during the school and the across the remote engagements before and after the school.

Participants are advised to arrive in Nairobi on Monday, 30 October 2023, as there will be transportation from Nairobi to the Kongoni Lodge in Naivasha on the morning of 31 October. Transport will also be arranged from Naivasha to Nairobi on 9 November. It will be possible to fly out of Nairobi in the evening of 9 November.

Accommodation at Kongoni Lodge will be in shared twin rooms.

Additional details will be shared later and this website updated.

How to apply

The deadline has passed, and 22 participants have been offered a place.

School Topics 2023

What you can expect from the 2023 CATER/CONFER School:

• An introduction to changing climatic risk, with an emphasis on Africa.

• Interrogate what ‘risk’ is in climate vulnerability and adaptation; and explore climate vulnerability and adaptation options through transdisciplinarity.

• Learn about transdisciplinary theory, processes and practice.

• Gain understanding of the complexity of decision-contexts and the plurality of knowledge in climate adaptation.

• Learn about using different types of evidence and ways of knowing for decision making under uncertainty.

• Use game-based participatory methods to share knowledge and evaluate the potential of climate adaptation services   

• Discuss principles, ethics and values in climate services, and in transdisciplinary approaches to climate services.

• Climate justice, and considerations when working with vulnerable groups: gender, indigenous peoples, populations living in precarity

• Job relevance: what skills are required for a successful career in climate adaptation?

• Learn about climate literacy for educational purposes.

• Improve communication skills - write better papers and better proposals as well as develop science-society relationships and facilitate transdisciplinary and/or co-production processes.

Confirmed Lecturers 2023

• Erik Kolstad, NORCE/Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Norway

• Rondrotiana Barimalala, NORCE/Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Norway

• Peter Johnston, Climate System Analysis Group, South Africa

• Alice McClure, Climate System Analysis Group, South Africa

• Anna Steynor, UK Meteorological Office, UK

• Elisabeth Thompson, UK Meteorological Office, UK

• Erlend Eidsvik, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway

• Isabelle Ruin, Institute of Environmental Geosciences, France

• Ingrid Vigna, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Norway

• Scott Bremer, University of Bergen/NORCE, Norway