A case study for rethinking global forestry
April 22 2026Twenty-two first-year students from the European Master’s program in Global Forestry (GloFor), of which AgroParisTech is a partner, participated in a two-week tropical field school in northern Thailand in February and March 2026. This demanding immersion experience, set amid forests and agroforestry systems, is designed to train professionals capable of making a global impact.
A hands-on approach to learning, closely aligned with real-world situations
After two months of preparing their scientific research project in Europe, the students stayed in the Chiang Dao region of Thailand. Far from the lecture halls, they studied local forests and agroforestry systems firsthand, focusing on their resilience to human disturbances and climate change, their management practices, and the role they play in the livelihoods of local communities.
Multicultural cooperation as a learning practice
In the field, the group joined thirteen students from Kasetsart University (Bangkok), who were supervised by six GloFor instructors and three members of the Thai academic staff. Working in a multicultural team, adapting to an unfamiliar local context, and integrating perspectives across disciplines: these are all skills that future forestry professionals will need to apply throughout their careers. As a member of the European GloFor master’s program, AgroParisTech contributes directly to this globally oriented field school.
Results presented to an international academic panel
After ten days of fieldwork, the students analyzed their data and presented their preliminary findings in Bangkok to an academic panel comprising faculty members from Kasetsart University and instructors from the GloFor master’s program. This exercise in scientific reporting under real-world conditions is a key component of the program: it prepares future graduates to present their work in demanding professional and multicultural settings.
A recognized European partnership, an experience destined to endure
This field school, held for the second consecutive year in Thailand, was funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and co-organized by the five institutions of the GloFor consortium—including AgroParisTech—in partnership with Kasetsart University. Its renewal confirms the educational value of this unique program and the consortium’s commitment to training anew generation of foresters capable of working across geographical and cultural boundaries.
The GloFor Master’s consortium expresses its deep gratitude to the Faculty of Forestry at Kasetsart University and to the EACEA for making this exceptional experience possible.