Biosphere Reserves Institute

  • Ukraine

    We are deeply dismayed and saddened by the belligerent attack on Ukraine and would like to express our strong attachment and solidarity with our Ukrainian partners.

  • Research Workshop 2024

    13th - 16th February 2024

    Click here to learn more!

About

The Biosphere Reserves Institute is a scientific institution of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE).


It was established in 2019 to promote education, research and training with a focus on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves as an instrument of its implementation.


Initially, the Biosphere Reserves Institute was established as HNEE's contribution to the biosphere.centre, a partnership between the Nationale Naturlandschaften e. V., the Michael Succow Foundation, and HNEE, launched in 2017. At HNEE, several professors and academic institutions – including the Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management and the Centre for Sustainable Tourism – have initiated this partnership agreement with the aim of making their ongoing support for UNESCO Biosphere Reserves even more effective.


In 2022, the "biosphere.center" was integrated into the Biosphere Reserves Institute, and the Michael Succow Foundation and Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V. have become privileged partners.

Discover more in our flyer

Our mission

Established staring from 1976 under the auspices of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, biosphere reserves are currently conceived as models for sustainable development that aim to reconcile biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development through complex spatial and governance arrangements.


However, there is a big gap between this concept and practice. Our mission is to support biosphere reserves in their transition towards being model regions for sustainable development. We do so by educating and training competent management staff, by coordinating research that responds to the pressing challenges faced by biosphere reserves, and by facilitating the transfer of research results to biosphere reserve management practice.


Contact us

In Eberswalde:

Georg-Herwegh-Straße 18

Rooms 66.208-210


​​For correspondence:

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Biosphere Reserves Institute

Schicklerstraße 5

D-16225 Eberswalde



Email: bri@hnee.de

Our Offers

an international master's study programme Biosphere Reserves Management
(BIOM)

a PhD programme focused on the research in, for, and with biosphere reserves (in cooperation with Leuphana University of Lüneburg)

a research group that stimulates and coordinates research activities on biosphere reserves within Eberswalde University 

Management

The Biosphere Reserves Institute is managed by the scientific directors with the support of the managing director and the academic staff in charge of the master's study programme Biosphere Reserves Management (BIOM) and the graduate programme.   

Joint Commission

About


The Joint Commission is an internal supervisory body of the Biosphere Reserves Institute. It is responsible for decisions concerning the development of the Biosphere Reserves Institute as a whole and supervises the Biosphere Reserves Institute in all areas of its activities, ensuring the quality and high academic standards of its performance.


Meetings


The Joint Commission meets every two months to discuss and decide on the strategy of the Biosphere Reserves Institute. The meetings are open to all members of Eberswalde University.

Membership


The Joint Commission consists of six professors, two members of academic staff, one member of non-academic staff and two M.Sc. BIOM students, thus playing an important role in liaising between the Biosphere Reserves Institute and the University structures.


The Joint Commission is appointed by the Senate of Eberswalde University on the basis of corresponding resolutions of the University’s departments that are co-founders of the Biosphere Reserves Institute. The term of office is one year for students and two years for other commission members.

Current Members


Professors:

Prof. Dr Erik Aschenbrand (Chair)

Prof. Dr Jan-Peter Mund (Deputy Chair)

Prof. Dr Anna Maria Häring

Prof. Dr Carsten Mann

Prof. Dr Heike Molitor

Prof. Dr Siegfried Rieger


Staff:

Dörte Beyer

Kerstin Lehmann

Vera Clauder


Students:

Celine Christoffers

Ayomide Akinfasoye

Daniel Ojeda de Vicente (Deputy)

Partners

The Biosphere Reserves Institute partners network also includes biosphere reserves, NGOs, and universities, providing an ideal environment for sharing knowledge and working on common projects.


The Michael Succow Stiftung is based in Greifswald and was founded in 1999 as a non-profit foundation. It has been committed to nature, peatlands, climate protection, nature-friendly land use as well as the establishment and support of biosphere reserves in Germany and worldwide.


Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V. is the umbrella organization of all national parks, biosphere reserves and certified wilderness areas in Germany. We bring together experts and interested parties from all protected areas and beyond, so that positions can be coordinated, and projects implemented for the benefit of Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V.


  • Carpathian Biosphere Reserve


    Biosphärenreservat Karpaten
  • Lower Saxon Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve


    Fostering the development zone



  • Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve


    Transnational network along a big river

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  • Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve


    Joint cooperation with Bosomtwe Biosphere Reserve, Ghana



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  • Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve


    Species Monitoring

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  • Spreewald Biosphere Reserve


    Interview mit Eugen Nowak, Leiter des Biosphärenreservats Spreewald
  • Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve


    Forest ecosystems

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News Archive

13 - 16 FEBRUARY 2024 // INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH WORKSHOP         


The workshop took place at the HNEE and brought together 30 participants, including researchers and practitioners from 16 countries and different biosphere reserves (BRs). It promoted networking and learning on BRs’ research progress, gaps and collaborations, and data accessibility/management. Given the broad interest and importance of the topic, it was decided to develop a proposal for the organisation of a follow-up workshop at the upcoming EuroMAB meeting at the Elbe River Landscape BR. Discover more.  

15 JANUARY 2024//FIRST BRI PHD-STUDENT DEFENDED DOCTORAL THESIS          


Soon to be Dr. rer. pol. Martin Balaš defended his doctoral thesis “Measuring and managing sustainability impacts of tourism from a subnational perspective” at the Leuphana University. Congratulations! The very interesting and successful presentation was based on 4 research papers. The work was supported by the IKC Process Design for the Implementation of a Biodiversity-Conserving Land Use - focus on Biosphere Reserves (ProBio-LaB), funded by the Brandenburg Ministry of Science, Research and Culture.  

25 - 28 OCTOBER 2023 // TRANSECTS PROGRAMME INSTITUTE GERMANY 2023         


The international research and teaching project TRANSECTS organized a workshop at HNEE with guests from universities and biosphere reserves from Canada, South Africa and Germany. Understanding was deepened of possibilities and methods of transdisciplinary research in science, education and practice. Transdisciplinary international learning labs (TILLs), are held annually and alternately in Germany, Canada and South Africa. HNEE students can also apply for these 6-8-week learning labs. Discover more here.  

06 OCTOBER 2023 // KICKOFF MEETING RESEARCH WORKSHOP 2024         


On the 6th of October 2023 was the kickoff meeting of the project Res4Reserves, focused on the organisation of the International Workshop “Research in European UNESCO Biosphere Reserves”. The workshop aims to advance research in biosphere reserves, by promoting an active exchange between managers and responsible staff. This event is part of series of workshops funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). Applications are now open until 29.11.2023. Learn more and apply here.

01 AUGUST 2023 // R-FORCE PROJECT STARTED         


On August 01, 2023, the R-Force group with more than ten participants started their exchange on learning and programming in R with a kick-off meeting. The group's resources and goals were identified by Dr. Jarne Jargow. Best practice examples were presented by Prof. Jens Müller in the "Coding Club" on the basis of submitted questions and problems. Regular exchange meetings are to follow.    

10 MARCH 2023 // TILL (TRANSDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL LEARNING LABORATORY)        


Within the framework of the projects Internationalization 2.0& Transdisciplinary Education Collaboration for Sustainable Development (TRANSECTS), the second learning laboratory has taken place, this time in cooperation with the Schorfheide-Chrorin Biosphere Reserve. 17 master and PhD students from different disciplines and eight countries have participated. Discover more   

01 MARCH 2023 // INTERNATIONAL BIOSPHERE RESERVES INSTITUTE PhD-COLLOQUIUM         


PhD-students from 3 different time zones presented their projects to an interested audience of peers, team members and supervisors from HNEE and Leuphana university. Topics span from assessment of forest functioning in Biosphere Reserves worldwide, to mire and peatland evaluation, sustainability assessment of Ecosystem Services in forests, to the wiggliness of insect decline. The group had lively discussions about what would benefit Biosphere Reserves worldwide.

24 NOVEMBER 2022 // FURTHER COOPERATION WITH PARTNERS SEALED        


On November 24, 2022, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, the  Michael Succow Stiftung  and the  Nationale Naturlandschaften e. v. signed a partnership agreement for further collaboration as a successor to the biosphere.center. The three partners are now committed to the further support and development of global biosphere reserves in the framework of the Biosphere Reserves Institute. Discover more.

16-20 MAY 2022 // INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 


Early career scientists and research managers working with the World Network of Biosphere Reserves reflected upon research in biosphere reserves and developed strategies for future action during the international conference"Science and Research in, for and with UNESCO Biosphere Reserves organised by the Biosphere Reserves Institute. Discover more    

31 MARCH 2022 // MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INTERESTED IN THE BIOSPHERE RESERVES INSTITUTE      


Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research visited Eberswalde University. During a short tour around the campus, she showed great interest in the activities of the Biosphere Reserves Institute. The professors Vera Luthardt and Denise Matias presented the history of the Biosphere Reserves Institute and its fields of activity. Discover more  

18 MARCH 2021 // CHILDREN & YOUTH UNIVERSITY   


As part of the Children and Youth University organised by Eberswalde University, the Biosphere Reserves Institute held a webinar on biosphere reserves for students in grades 5-6. The children learned about the concept of a biosphere reserve, took a quiz, and applied their knowledge in zoning the fantasy biosphere reserve "Eberswalde".

07 OCT 2020 // START OF THE NEW MASTER'S PROGRAMME   


The start of the master's programme Biosphere Reserves Management (BIOM) was celebrated with a multi-faceted event. It was kicked off by student competition for a mini-master's degree. During the official part, representatives of partner organisations and experts exchanged views on the new study programme, and several agreements were signed with biosphere reserves willing to support its implementation. The students received a welcome gift and the evening ended with refreshments and small talks.

10 MARCH 2020 // CHILDREN & YOUTH UNIVERSITY 


As part of the Children and Youth University organised by University of Eberswalde, the Biosphere Reserves Institute conducted a workshop on biosphere reserves. The children learned about the concept of a biosphere reserve and its historical background and constructed their own biosphere reserve from natural materials.  

29 NOV 2019 // BIOSPHERE RESERVES INSTITUTE INAUGURATION CEREMONY    


Eberswalde University celebrated the establishment of the Biosphere Reserves Institute which will be the world's first scientific institution of its kind. The inauguration ceremony was attended by policy makers, representatives of partner organisations, the Biosphere Reserves Institute staff, and students of Eberswalde University.

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