Developing a Joint Master’s Degree Programme in Agroecosystem Resilience for Sri Lanka

Abstract

This chapter details, analyses, and reflects upon the development of a joint master’s degree programme in agroecosystem resilience. The aim of the programme was to increase understanding of food security, awareness of climate change impacts, and increase sustainable approaches to agriculture in the host country and wider area. Led by universities in Sri Lanka, in partnership with institutions from Estonia, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom, the work created a course based on established methods, best practice, national policy and local needs. Comprising four different stages, and methods, of research, the process of identifying and refining the individual elements of the programme is examined in depth. This research occurred during a period of dramatic change in the Sri Lankan government’s agricultural strategy. The challenges, and opportunities, afforded by this, diverse institutional research bases, regional variations, and the impact of Covid-19 lockdown are discussed.