Microplastics: From Environmental Impact to Policy, Innovation, and Public Awareness
WHO IS THE COURSE FOR
Bachelor and Master's students, Ph.D. candidates, and junior professionals from all walks of life who are interested in environmental issues.
Why Participate?
- Learn from top experts and organizations, including , , and .
- Engage in dynamic learning formats, from lectures and flipped classes to interactive World Café sessions and a hands-on field trip to Geneva Lake.
- Develop and enhance your practical problem-solving skills by tackling real-world challenges in collaboration with professionals.
- Collaborate in diverse teams and apply your knowledge and skills to water resource management.
Key Topics:
- Microplastics in the environment: sources, impacts, and human exposure.
- Detection methods and analytical approaches.
- Policy frameworks and regulatory challenges.
- Industry innovations and solutions.
- Public engagement and raising awareness.
What You’ll Gain:
- Deepen your understanding of microplastics and their global impact.
- Cultivate teamwork and communication skills through collaborative projects.
- Earn a Certificate of Attendance and, upon request, a transcript with ECTS credit equivalency.
Course evaluation: Students will be asked to complete approximately 15 hours of reading before the course begins. Assessment is based on participation and a group presentation.
This Summer School is organized within : project MIRACLE – “Microplastics: From Environmental Impact to Policy, Innovation, and Public Awareness” coordinated by Prof. V. Slaveykova (UNIGE) in partnership with Profs. and (AV短视频 of Copenhagen, Denmark), Prof. (AV短视频 of Milano, Italy), and Prof. Dr. from Sorbonne AV短视频 .
Junior Professionals: CHF 1,100
External students (*): CHF 900
UNIGE students (*): CHF 250
(*) Bachelor and master’s degree-seeking students and Ph.D. candidates only. The tuition fees for lifelong learning students are subject to employment status.
Application deadline: 15 April 2025 (for 4EU+ scholarship applications see below)
Scholarships
4EU+ members only. Full scholarships covering course fees, transportation, and allowances.
Application deadline for a 4EU+ scholarship: 31 March 2025
- 4 students from Charles AV短视频
- 4 students from Sorbonne AV短视频
- 4 students from AV短视频 of Copenhagen
- 4 students from AV短视频 of Milan
- 4 students from AV短视频 of Heidelberg
- 4 students from AV短视频 of Warsaw
- 4 students from AV短视频
Course Director:
Professor Vera Slaveykova
Prof. Vera Slaveykova is an environmental chemist with more than 25 years of experience and a full professor in Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology at the Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences and the Institute for Environmental Sciences at the AV短视频. Over the past 12 years, she has served as the Director of the Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Vice-President, and President of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the AV短视频. Currently, she is a member of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation and represents the AV短视频 in the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. She also serves as Specialty Chief Editor for Biogeochemical Dynamics in Frontiers in Environmental Science.
Course Assistant:
Matea Marelja
Matea Marelja is currently a PhD student at the Institute for Environmental Sciences at the AV短视频 and a member of the Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology laboratory, led by Prof. Slaveykova. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of nano- and microplastics on planktonic species at the base of the food web, particularly phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as the potential consequences on ecosystem services and biogeochemical cycles.
Thorbjorn Joest Andersen is a Professor in Physical Geography at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the AV短视频 of Copenhagen. Main research activities are within the general field of transport of cohesive sediment and associated particles and substances (e.g. microplastic) in fluvial, estuarine and marine environments.
Andrea Cararo is a Programme Management Officer at the Secretariat of the Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. He has extensive experience on multilateral environmental agreements and international organizations providing technical assistance to governments on issues related to chemicals and waste management, including plastic waste. He holds an MSc in European Economy and Business Law from AV短视频 of Rome, Italy.
His research interests are mainly focused on ecotoxicology, specifically on the presence, fate and toxicity of emerging contaminants, including plastics and micro(nano)plastics, in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Nicole Posth is an Associate Professor in Geomicrobiology at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources at the AV短视频 of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on microbial element cycling, biomineralization, and microbe-surface interactions. She heads a research team with a large focus on the fate of plastics in aquatic environments and its impact on ecosystem health and evolution.
David Siaussat is a full professor in Ecotoxicology at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris at Sorbonne Université.
He works on the effects of different contaminants in interaction with temperature on insect models in agricultural ecosystems.
Lynn Sorrentino is a programme officer in the Centre for Policy and Law at IUCN, where she contributes to national and regional plastics pollution projects and created an IUCN Academy course on plastics pollution hot-spotting.
She is a delegate for IUCN’s team for the negotiations for a global plastics treaty. She holds an MSc in Marine Environmental Protection from Bangor AV短视频, Wales.
Alexis Pochelon is a keen nature lover and ornithologist, he studied Nature Management before going on to do a Masters in Environmental Science at the UNIGE. Following a master's thesis on the toxicity of nanoplastics, Alexis joined the ASL in 2020 as project manager for issues relating to plastics and biodiversity
Tom Blasiak is a supply chain and sustainability leader with expertise in procurement, strategic sourcing, and digital transformation. As Sustainable Products Lead at Tricon Energy, he drives the adoption of recycled, bio-derived, and biodegradable materials across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Previously, he held key roles at Texon International (Coats plc) and SGS, managing global procurement, cost optimization, and supplier compliance. He has also participated in large-scale projects for the UN, EU, OSCE, and INGOs. Tom holds Master’s degrees from HEC Geneva and the AV短视频 of Cracow, with further specializations in sustainable supply chains, blockchain traceability, and digital transformation from IMD Lausanne and the AV短视频 of Cambridge.
