“An international and national centre of excellence for the trans-disciplinary study of national park and protected area management – developing sustainable solutions to global challenges”
Set in the heart of the Lake District in Ambleside, the University of Cumbria is the only university in the world based within a national park. It is therefore in a unique position to be home to the Centre for National Parks. This is reinforced by the Lake District’s pending application with UNESCO for World Heritage status as a cultural landscape.
The Centre undertakes research into all aspects of National Park and protected area sustainability and leadership and builds on fourteen years of research experience conducting world class research on wildlife conservation around the globe. In the past the centre has focussed primarily on conservation and animal behaviour/management issues, and more recently has a greater emphasis on trans-disciplinary, holistic approaches to conservation and protected area management, including issues such as climate change, sustainable development and food security. This applied research feeds directly into our teaching, enabling us to use ‘real-world scenarios’ to enhance the students experience and offer opportunities for placements, applied field work and dissertation research.
The Centre continues to evolve to focus on world class academic excellence with a global reach, the purpose of which is to inform and influence policy and governance, develop best practice through innovation of resource use and promote knowledge transfer.
We work collaboratively with other universities, national parks and other bodies responsible for supporting protected areas to develop and learn from real world research and applied practice, both overseas and in the UK.
The University of Cumbria has a strong reputation with respect to National Parks due to its research and teaching in science and natural resources, outdoor studies, business and sustainable leadership, health and well-being and education. This multi-disciplinary approach is central to the aims of the Centre and is embodied within the existing key strands of research:
- Wildlife Conservation
- Ecosystem Service
- Community, Collaboration & Governance
- Health & Wellbeing
- Citizenship & Environment
Bringing this knowledge and expertise to the Centre will enable it to address effectively the many critical issues relating to the management of national parks and other protected areas in the 21st Century.
Against this background, the Centre aims to become:
“An international and national centre of excellence for the trans-disciplinary study of national park and protected area management – developing sustainable solutions to global challenges”
For more information about the Centre please contact: CNPPA@cumbria.ac.uk