Master in Biologie und Ökologie für Forstwirtschaft und Umwelt - Schwerpunkt Wälder und ihre Umgebungen (FEN)

The MSc program in “Forests and their environments (FEN)” is a research-driven approach to the understanding and management of forest ecosystems, providing fundamental and applied knowledge on the organization, functioning, and dynamics of forest ecosystems and communities (including tree physiology, biogeochemistry, ecology, genetics) and on the major quantitative tools of ecosystem observation and experiment analysis (GIS, statistics, modeling). Specific emphasis is placed on the interaction between forest ecosystems and their environment, including global change issues.

A 2nd-year international MSc major in Nancy, France

Decipher the functioning and dynamics of temperate forest ecosystems and develop quantitative tools for their sustainable management in the context of global environmental changes.

Joint MSc program of Université de Lorraine & AgroParisTech

Want to study abroad in Europe? Come to Nancy!

• An urban area of 400 000 inhabitants and 50 000 students (Université de Lorraine and 10 Engineering schools).
• Easy access from Paris by TGV (high-speed train), and close to Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
• Nancy has a great architectural history (part of the UNESCO World Heritage) including the Art Nouveau period and is surrounded by forests and hills ideal for recreational activities.
• Many cultural and entertainment events all year round (e.g. NJP Jazz festival, le Livre sur la Place book fair).

Support research departments

• Silva, UL-INRAE-AgroParisTech
• Bureau d’Economie Théorique et Appliquée, INRAE-CNRSAgroParisTech-UL-UniStra
• Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers, INRAE
• Laboratoire d'Inventaire Forestier, I.G.N.

European/International partnerships

• Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech and INRAE are members of the NFZ forest network (Nancy–Freiburg– Zürich) for higher education and research.
• AgroParisTech belongs to the consortium Erasmus Mundus MSc European Forestry and offers the major Forests and their Environment as educational support for the 2nd year
• INRAE and AgroParisTech are members of the European Forest Institute (EFI).
• International network opportunities further arise from international research collaborations at Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, and INRAE.

Institutional Framework and Connection to Research

The MSc program provides a research-driven approach to the understanding and management of forest ecosystems. The teaching staff includes more than 30 professors and senior scientists from 9 research labs at Université de Lorraine (UL), AgroParisTech and Institut National de Recherche Agronomique.

In addition to the balance between fundamental and practical knowledge, practitioners from organizations involved in forest management and R&D will also provide a connection to forest management issues, and ensure both a professional and academic education.

Welcome to Université de Lorraine!

Université de Lorraine is a French public university

It offers to its nearly 52,000 students a full range of studies, in all fields, and in conformity to the Bologna model (bachelor/master/doctorate).

It also proposes specific French diplomas such as DUT in a variety of fields (a 2 years vocational diploma which is often followed by an additional year to obtain a vocational bachelor degree) or diplôme d’ingénieur, a master-level degree in engineering and industrial management.

The studies are connected to high-level research in the different fields and benefit from high-level specialized skills and hi-tech facilities and infrastructures, whenever necessary. Please feel free to explore in more detail the organization and working of the French Education System.

International students have the possibility to spend one or more semesters at Université de Lorraine through a number of exchange programs. They are also invited to apply for one of our international curricula, where all or parts of the courses are taught in English. And of course, it is a very good idea to use the opportunity of a stay with us to learn French; for that, we have a full offer of language training in French.

Dialogue of Knowledges

Université de Lorraine promotes innovation through the dialogue of knowledge , taking advantage of the variety and strength of its scientific fields, and aiming at the promotion of knowledge transfer to irrigate innovation and economic growth as well as the progress of fundamental science.

Being the University of a whole region, Université de Lorraine is a major factor in its economic and social development, building on intercultural and intergeneration links, coordinating a regional research policy, and giving access to higher education to as many inhabitants as possible.

Université de Lorraine offers curricula in all fields of knowledge: sciences, health, technology, engineering sciences, human and social sciences, law, economy, management, arts, literature, and language. A specific focus is given to crossovers between fields and skills, to help students develop their own pathway.

Université de Lorraine proposes a large spectrum of international activities

• Ingoing and outgoing student exchanges (about 1.500 of our students spend at least one semester abroad during their studies, 15% of our students started their studies in one of approximately 100 foreign countries).
• Shared diplomas with other universities: around 60 joint diplomas, including 7 Erasmus Mundus master programs.
• Research collaborations:
  • Numerous joint PhDs: 11% of our PhDs are shared with a foreign university;
  • Joint groups or labs with foreign universities;
  • Nearly 30% of our publications are co-signed with scientists from other countries.
• Mobility of students, of Ph.D. students and post-docs, of faculty members and administrative staff , to consolidate our international integration. The University has an active policy for encouraging outgoing mobility, and to facilitate and simplify the welcome of incoming persons.

Beyond this general openness, our international strategy builds on 3 gradual levels

• Having border with 3 other countries, it is quite natural that Lorraine is involved in the buildup of cross-border relationships within the Greater Region (Luxembourg, French- and German-speaking parts of Belgium, Lorraine, German Länder of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland). Université de Lorraine is a major player in this construction, through numerous bilateral collaborations with the universities of these regions, but also through its active role in developing the University of the Greater Region , where it is associated with the Universities of Saarland, Trier, Kaiserslautern, Luxembourg, and Liège.
• Université de Lorraine intends to progressively build up ties with a network of European universities sharing its major orientations: interdisciplinarity and dialogue of knowledge fields , within universities covering a broad scientific spectrum, but with a structuring orientation around engineering, taken in a broad sense.
• Whereas we have numerous international partnerships throughout the world , some sites have the potential of focusing several collaborations, in research and in teaching, on a broad set of disciplines. Université de Lorraine wishes to emphasize its partnership with these sites , by structuring its collaborations within recognized and strongly supported entities. This is first and foremost true for the French-German cooperation, for which Université de Lorraine has established a specific French-German Center for Lorraine , (CFALOR). This kind of partnership has also been established in Morocco , in Kazakhstan , and in China (especially in Wuhan), and the aim is to focus on around 10 sites or regions in the world.

Strategic Partnerships

Université de Lorraine accompanies you in the internationalization of your research if you're a researcher joining us from abroad or you're already in France and in search of international development/exchange in the context of your research.

European partnerships

In the cross-border area of the Greater Region, the University develops numerous collaborations with its academic partners of the Greater Region Charta and of the University of the Greater Region .

The Franco-German cooperation is particularly strong in Lorraine, which is the 2nd region in France after Ile-de-France (the Paris region) in terms of degrees supported by the French-German University . To animate this dynamic, Université de Lorraine has created a coordination structure, the Franco-German center of Lorraine .

Université de Lorraine is a member of the network Campus Europae , which aims at strengthening the European experience gained by student exchanges during studies.

International partnerships

The laboratories, departments, faculties, and schools of Université de Lorraine have hundreds of international partnerships around the world. Some sites have nevertheless a particular potential for the focus of many collaborations in training and in research, on a wide range of disciplines. Université de Lorraine wants to consolidate its partnership with these sites, by structuring its collaborations within strongly supported and recognized entities.

This consolidation should eventually cover a dozen sites or priority regions in the world. One can in particular mention:

• An important partnership with several universities in Kazakhstan
• A major strategic partnership, long-established, with the Wuhan University of Technology and Wuhan University (China)

a major strategic partnership with several Moroccan institutions, especially Université Internationale de Rabat, Universiapolis Agadir, and several first rank public universities such as Université Hassan II Mohammedia in Casablanca, Université Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in Fès, the Université Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech

EURAXESS partnerships

Université de Lorraine is a member of the European network EURAXESS, an initiative led by the European Commission, and an active member of the Euraxess-France network coordinated by the French Conference of University Presidents (CPU) .

The Euraxess initiative aims at strengthening the attractiveness of the European research area (ERA) in 3 ways :

• Euraxess Jobs: science-based job offers and funding opportunities in Europe
• Euraxess Services: free and customized assistance for visiting or incoming researchers and their family (2 welcome offices at Université de Lorraine)
• Euraxess Rights: information on the rights and duties in relation to the recruitment of international researchers

Partnerships with the socio-economic environment

Université de Lorraine actively participates in the life of the competitiveness clusters present in the Lorraine region:

• Materalia on the materials and processes,
• Fibres on fiber-based materials (for example wood and textile),
• Hydreos on the quality and the management of water.

Université de Lorraine also creates gateways with the companies, through the support of 3 Carnot institutes implanted in the region: Institut Carnot Énergie et Environnement in Lorraine (1st Carnot institute in Lorraine with respect to the number of researchers represented, namely more than 1400), Institut Carnot ARTS and Institut Carnot INRIA.

The Carnot label is a label of scientific excellence that benefits the laboratories and research infrastructures at Université de Lorraine; it also reflects their ability to provide scientific and technological research in response to short and medium terms industrial needs. To complement funding of the research activities by UL, CNRS, and Region of Lorraine, the Carnot funding enables the development of multidisciplinary projects, regionally and transnationally turned towards industrial innovation.