Large-scale acquisition of land in the global South has received a great deal of interest in the last few years. Especially following the food crisis, and stimulated by the growing demand for biofuels, pressure on land continues to increase. This course provides a multidisciplinary analysis of the ‘land rush’ within the more general context of land governance in Africa, Asia and Latin America: the history and drivers, the diversity of stakeholders and networks involved, the urgency and current challenges, and innovative governance solutions.

The course is organized by the Netherlands Academy for Land Governance (LANDac) at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Students and professionals will acquire up-to-date knowledge on new land pressures and learn how to place these in broader theoretical contexts and policy debates. Participants learn about best practices in land governance from different perspectives and on multiple levels, from local to international. Topics are discussed in interactive mini-courses, lectures and solution-oriented workshops. The design of the course allows for participants to closely work together with professionals, experts and fellow students froma variety of backgrounds.

The course provides participants with thorough knowledge of current problems as well as academic and policy debates related to land and development. Participants also build understanding of practical knowledge and possible solutions. The guiding question is how to optimize the link between land governance, inclusive sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

Lecturers include (more to be confirmed): prof. dr. Annelies Zoomers, dr. Guus van Westen, dr. Griet Steel, dr. Marthe Derkzen (course directors) and dr. Gemma van der Haar, Prof. dr. Jaap Zevenbergen, dr Femke van Noorloos, dr. Malovika Pawar as well as other practitioners and policy makers.

Credits: 3.0 ECTS + Certificate of Attendance Fee: € 910 (incl. housing and LANDac Annual Conference 2019) Info: www.utrechtsummerschool.nl or www.landgovernance.org