MASUS: An example of EIA teaching in an international context

Abstract

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is established worldwide, requiring prepared professionals. Higher education faces challenges in this area, particularly a shortage of experienced lecturers. This letter analyses the experience with two EIA courses included in a Spanish master’s programme. The courses, tailored for an international audience, combine theory, practice, and research inputs, focusing on the application of EIA through multinational group work and using hypothetical case studies specific to the students’ countries. This approach emphasizes learning by doing, fostering an understanding of EIA’s technical, legal, and practical complexities. The experience has shown that diverse, research-informed courses with a manageable class size, tailored to the objectives and content of each specific course, lead to significant student engagement and comprehension, suggesting that a blend of practical and research expertise among lecturers is vital for effective EIA education.