Course details
The course will incorporate daily lectures by world-leading invited lecturers (usually mornings), practical work on research modules (afternoons), and evening discussions. We also plan a one-day symposium, and the final day and a half will be devoted to data integration and a group discussion of the results. Practical modules will be supported by Eawag staff and faculty.
Course goals
- Interdisciplinary: Show students how different disciplines work together in an interdisciplinary fashion to tackle a larger research issue.
- System view: Teach an integrative, system spanning view of ecology in a lake ecosystem.
- New concepts: Introduce students to interesting new concepts in ecology (ecological stoichiometry, microbial structure and activity, evolutionary processes).
- Methods: Provide hands on time with advanced methods.
- Networking: Allow students to meet top people in the field, discuss with them and other students. Provide networking opportunities.
- Fun: Spend a fun and stimulating time with like-minded people.
Course schedule
Course Schedule [pdf]
Lecturers will be asked to contribute approximately 3-6 hours of lectures on one to two days on topics related to the overall goals of the course. They will further participate in the discussion sessions and are invited to give an additional short presentation on their research for the workshop and participate in the workshop discussions.
Invited lecturers
Prof. Luc De Meester (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
Prof. James Elser (Arizona State University)
Prof. Nelson Hairston (Cornell University)
Prof. Andrew Hendry (McGill University)
Prof. Elena Litchman (Michigan State University)
Prof. Eric W. Triplett (University of Florida)
Dr. Carsten Schubert (Eawag)
Evening discussions
Evening discussions will serve a number of purposes. Organizational announcements, discussions about the topics and work of the day, outlook on the program for the next day. Exchange and discussion of results, discussion of topics of particular interest to the attendees. An important aim is to ensure that the students in different modules interact with each other. Evening sessions will allow students to exchange data and discuss progress so that all students have an insight into what is happening in the course as a whole and will be able to work on a synthesis of results at the end of the course.
Symposium
Recommended reading
To prepare for the course you will receive a selection of papers that will be referenced in the course or provide a good basis for understanding the lectures. We recommend that you try to read at least some of them in preparation for the course. The marked (*) papers are especially recommended as introductory reading, if the subject matter is new to you.