Education and Research programs at CISM Interdisciplinary Mountain Research Center

Univ. Savoie, France&

the UNESCO Chair in Water Resources (UCWR)and the UNITWIN Network

by Prof. Thierry VILLEMIN

The university of Savoie : A pluri-disciplinary university

Some key features of UdS12000 students on 3 campus in SavoieFirst place in France for foreign students

exchangesMember of the PRES Grenoble (Pole for

Education and Resarch) with 3 other universities (61000 students)

“Licences” (bachelor), Masters and PhD programs: 3-5-9 sequence

3 lakes

Phosphorus average concentration (Winter)

BiologyGeology

GeographyChemistryPhysiology

Centre Interdisciplinaire Scientifique de la

Montagne

Environnemental SciencesPast, present

and future

• 1183 étudiants en 2010, 63 doctorants

Effectif personnels* : • 61 Enseignants-Chercheurs

• 11 Enseignants• 15 Chercheurs (CNRS, IRD)

• 30 IATOS

• 189 Vacataires enseignement extérieurs (4500 HEQTD = 13 TD)

* Présents sur le site du Bourget du Lac

Where is research on water resources at CISM?3 Labs mainly concerned :

CARRTEL (Biology) INRA + UdS (mainly at Thonon)

LCME (Chemistry) UdSEDYTEM (Geology and Geography) CNRS +

UdSFLAME (Lake-Mountain-Environment

Federation)Research coordination (common programs and

equipments) Master Program (still under construction)

FLAME : main objectivesPaleo-environnement et paleo-ecology of mountain areas

and their great lakes. Past responses to human activities (fishing practices, farming, forestry, industry,

urbanization) and to climate changes. Who can we use the OM (Organic Matter) as a trace of these evolutions?

Organic Matter : humic substance, biomarkers, DNA

Ecodynamics, transfert, reactivity and stocking of Organic MicroPollutants and Natural OM in hydrosystems.Biological and physicochemical transfer phenomena and flux evaluation.

What is the function of the different phases contributing to the transfer of OMP and NOM? We would like to better understand how they are stocking, transferring or transforming in hydrosystems like lakes, karsts and mountain drainage basins. This include also soils studies.

PCB (PolyChlorinated Biphenyls), PAH (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) Comparison between great lakes influenced by human activities and isolated

mountain lakes in order to isolate the atmospheric contribution

SOERE GLACPESOERE : « Système d’Observation et d’Expérimentation,

sur le long terme, pour la Recherche en Environnement »GLACPE « Grands LACs PErialpins »

CEMBRO project“Investment for the Future” French program

of 35 billions €, 22 devoted to academic research and high level teaching.

CEMBRO (Environmental Change and Biodiversity: Retro-observation) is defended by a large consortium of labs in Chambery-Grenoble area.

Equipment for a new and powerful analytical center (total 7 M€) : XRF core scanner, Environmental SEM with EDS, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, rare DNA analyze…

Other subjects identified as possible cooperationEvaluation of fish stocks. Eco-genetics and conservation of old fish

speciesWater quality and water treatment (LCME

has strong links with Algeria on this subject)Thermal springsMetrology : exchange on technical practices

CWR and UNITWIN cooperation (1)Identification of the good links to establish

between potential partnersDiscussion between partners or group of

partners by the way of teleconferencesCommon responses to proposalsObjective of common papers for high level

scientific journalsCommon workshop in international

conferences (EGU, Asian meetings …)

CWR and UNITWIN cooperation (2)Common or shared courses for master

degrees in English followed by webminar, teleseminar or DVD

Multilateral exchange for students (practical research experience for master degrees, English plus basic knowledge of the language of the destination country)

Common phD : specific models or analyses made where competences are. Research time shared through different centers

Human and financial resourcesThe coordination of the CWR & UNITWIN at

UdS must be included in the service of the scientist in charge of it.

The coordinator must be helped by a full time assistant (engineer).

Specific resources must be found for this work and related expenses: call could be made to some major companies

Specific resources must be found to cover travel and

Other thinks to doMore advertising must be made on the CWR

and UNITWIN network : Website, brochure…Links with other Chairs, networks on water

problems to be clarified : “who is making what”

More formal agreements between universities (student exchanges)