The international DAAD-alumni seminar “Education for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity” is jointly organised by the Instituto de Postgrado of the Universidad Técnica del Norte (Ibarra, Ecuador) and the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany) in cooperation with the Institute for Ecology and Environmental Chemistry. It will take place from 25 October to 1 November 2009 at the Universidad Técnica del Norte in Ibarra, Ecuador.

The main question of the international alumni seminar will be how education for sustainable development in Ecuador and other Latin American countries can contribute to the creation of awareness about the importance of biodiversity and to the conservation of biodiversity.

During the seminar, the following key topics will be covered:
- Nature and environmental education
- Education for sustainable development (ESD)
- Importance of biodiversity for sustainable development
- Biodiversity conservation and management
- Governance and biodiversity conservation
- Role of participation for the management of biodiversity conservation
- Development of key competencies for the sustainable management and use of biodiversity

The main objectives of the seminar are the following:
- Promoting exchange between the participants in the areas of education for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation
- Facilitating international scientific alliances
- Qualifying the participants in the areas of education for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation
- Exchanging experiences and setting up networks among the participants
- Motivating the participants to create projects for education for sustainable development as well as biodiversity conservation and thus to contribute to sustainable development
- Facilitating the discourse about scientific questions with regard to biodiversity conservation and promoting the international academic cooperation in this field
- Developing ideas for joint research projects on ESD and biodiversity conservation

25 DAAD alumni from Ecuador and other Latin-American countries will participate in the seminar.