Abstract:

The contents and the structure of a new master degree adpated to Bologna protocol in climate sciences at the University of Vigo, Spain is presented. The relevance of climate research has increased considerably in the last two decades due to awareness of the scientific community that our climate has been changing and is bound to change even further in the next century . The recent award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) has raised this awareness to the highest level, stressing the imperative need for our own generation to start solving this complex problem. But what triggers the widespread media coverage and the interest of the average man on the street is the possibility that these changes may be associated, at least partially, to increasing levels of anthropogenic economic activities (industry, transports, agriculture and electricity production to name a few), particularly since the industrial revolution. The anthropogenic role in recent trends of climate is now becoming clearer. Nevertheless, it is worth stressing that there have been always changes of climate in previous epochs, and that these changes have occurred at different temporal scales. The main objective of the "master in climate sciences and climate change" that will start next academic year at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Vigo, placed in Ourense, is to give post-graduate students the scientific tools to improve our understanding on the nature of the various components of the climate system and the main causes that are responsible for climate variability and climate change. The master has an international vocation with preference towards Iberomaerica. So there are specific modules concerning the climate in this regions. The professors board comes from three Spanish, two Portuguese and three Latinoamerican Universities.

Keywords:

new master degree, international cooperation, climate sciences.