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Background Picture on Mountains. Credits Guillaume Briard.

ABS Network,

Pathfinders to Environmental Education

Cooperation in Education

ABS is a network of 16 Nordic and Baltic universities cooperating in environmental education and connecting students and teachers accross the fields of physics, chemistry, meteorology, biology, and geosciences. Our emphasis is on multidisciplinary, quality education.

Mobility / Exchange

We work for student and teacher mobility in the Nordics and Baltics. The ABS network is embedded in the Nordplus exchange programmes, providing unique opportunities for study and stay in another Nordic or Baltic country for shorter or longer periods, field studies, and more.

Lifelong learning

We believe in lifelong learning. All ABS activities aim for continuous, sustainability driven learning, and addressing environmental and human sensitivities. Quality of education and cooperation are at the core of each one of the learning journeys.

Picture on Mountains. Photo Credits: Guillaume Briard for Unsplash.
Photo: Guillaume Briard

Atmosphere-Biosphere Studies (ABS)

The Nordic-Baltic network for environmental education.

ABS is a pioneering initiative on multidisciplinary environmental education accross the fields of physics, chemistry, meteorology, biology, and geosciences. Founded in 2006, it consists of 16 universities in 7 countries in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

The ABS network provides a variety of study opportunities, from short courses to Master programs at many locations and online. ABS contributed to the creation of the Nordic Master Programme, EnCHiL, in 2020, which continues to enrich the ABS education and research activities.

Mobility is at the heart of ABS. The network enables student and teacher exchange among the network universities with Nordplus funding. ABS also endorses research in connection to education and through teacher collaboration.

Picture. Hands on a Tree.
Photo: Shane Rounce

Our Values

Quality of Education

Education is based on internationally recognized top research.

Cooperation

ABS deepens Nordic-Baltic cooperation and enhances student & teacher mobility. We provide a forum for exchanging experiences and best practices in education.

Lifelong Education

All our activities build on the idea of lifelong learning.

Key Activities

1. Study

The ABS network universities offer students and teachers a variety of courses and Master programs. ABS links with the Nordic Master Program, EnCHiL, and with courses accessible via PEEC platform and Climate University. In addition, ABS offers teachers courses and resources on teaching & pedagogy.

2. Exchange

Student and teacher mobility & exchange are promoted through Nordplus, the ABS own courses, and study schemes offered by the individual ABS network universities. For ABS members, there are many opportunities to study and stay in the Nordics and Baltics.

3. Collaboration

The ABS network connects through various programs and activies througout the year. Since beginning, ABS has established local and international research projects and infrastructures (PEEX, ICOS, BACCI, NECC, Uarctic, and more). ABS continues as a node for partnering in education & research.

Picture of two persons mountain climbing
Photo: Sylvain Mauroux

ABS & Nordplus

Funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Since the start in 2006, the Nordplus Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers is the backbone of ABS education and mobility. Today, much of the student mobility is also arranged via the Erasmus programme. The partners invest their own budget funding for ABS activities, too, and joint projects receive funding from mechanisms and networks like NordForsk, NordRegio and UArctic.

At ABS, we interact with researchers and research communities, and contribute to projects that relate to pedagogical research, especially within environmental education. We are part of the ClimComp project, funded by the Academy of Finland. The project explores the competencies in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation, required urgently by our societies, and studies, how the competencies can be achieved through education.

Oodi Library in Helsinki. Photo Credits: Vadim Morozov
Photo: Vadim Morozov

Coordination

ABS Coordination Office, Helsinki University, INAR.

ABS Coordination Office is located at the University of Helsinki, Institute of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, INAR. The Office connects actively the network partners to joint planning, drives cooperation with Nordplus, and collaborates with other Nordic and Baltic partners in environmental education & research.

ABS Coordination Office arranges two meetings on annual basis: the ABS Network Meeting in May/June and a teachers’ workshop in early December. In these meetings, the ABS network plans together for future collaboration and outlines the agreed activities. The Teacher workshop even includes training and discussion sessions on current, relevant topics.

Join our network? If your university is active in the ABS related fields in the Nordic & Baltic countries, and is interested in cooperation, do contact us at the Coordination Office for information and discussions!