We are welcoming applications to the second edition of the Erasmus Mundus Master Course Programme: MEDfOR – Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (2013-2014). Please check http://www.medfor.eu/ and the flyer attached to this email. Deadline: January 15th, 2013

The programme welcomes students from all over the world. Call for applications for EMMC scholarships will open on September 1, 2012 .
The application information and forms may be checked at https://medfor.isa.utl.pt/howtoapply/schollarships
Contact information at http://www.medfor.eu/contacts/secretariat

An excerpt of the journal International Innovation is now available as a high- and low-resolution PDF. It may be edited, for instance to better fit a two page leaflet. The entire magazine can be viewed online by filling in a couple of details at the registration page and click on the edition headed ‘Addressing food security’. Note that the article follows a standard 3-page format common to all project commentaries in the journal.

/Ola (Action chair)

The STSM (Short Term Scientific Mission) call is now published. Please, see the call text and instructions.

From 1st of August Croatia, Slovenia and Turkey are full members of the Action  after approval of the Management Committee of  FORSYS.

Professor Alexis Tsoukiàs, LAMSADE-CNRS, Université Paris Dauphine, chair of COST Action Algodec – http://cost-ic0602.org/ and key-note speaker at the upcoming FORSYS meeting in Brussels on October 6 has drawn attention to the lack of initiative in the areas of decision sciences in FP7. To promote the area in FP7 and, perhaps more importantly, FP8 Alexis has put together a short draft presenting this area and some opportunities (Decision Sciences and Technologies in the EU Frame Programmes). The idea is to use this document as a basis in order to start some discussion within the concerned COST Actions, among them FORSYS, and arrive by the end of September with an improved version. This will be followed up by a small workshop in November with one or two participants from each of the concerned COST Actions. Therefore, please discuss this document among yourselves. Also, bring your ideas to me, or directly to Alexis Tsoukiàs [tsoukias@lamsade.dauphine.fr] for us to bring with us in the ensuing process.

Two presentations with relevance for the FORSYS work on forest DSS were presented at the 24th European Conference on Operations Research, EURO XXIV Lisbon July 11-14 2010; one with focus more on methodologies for tactical and operational planning – OR in support of forest products management and supply by Alexandra Marques, Mikael Ronnqvist, Sophie D’Amours, and José Borges – and on what methodologies are used in a selection of forest DSS – European forest decision support systems -what do we have and what is missing? by Ola Eriksson.

The Domain Committee’s monitoring statement for the Action for 2009:

The DC praised the Action’s excellent start and appreciated the web-based summary of DSS systems (including 49 DSS!).  The high number of STSMs was commended, and the Action was encouraged to continue to increase participation of ESRs.  The DC commended the Action’s efficient financial arrangements and noted the budget pressures associated with the increased participation. The DC commended the high participation of non-COST country institutions.

Not a bad rating! We will continue our work in Brussels October 6-7. Note that the deadline for registration is 30^th of June. MC and WG members: if you have not registered and intend to attend – use the form distributed to you on 20^th of May to register (invitations will be sent out within a week thereafter to ease your planning).

The proceedings of the Workshop are now online. All papers submitted and accepted for presentation can now be found in the presentations and posters pages.