Geotechnologies curricula in departments of geography in the Spanish public universities: Challenges and perspectives from the university of Balearic Islands

Abstract

A significant increase in demanding graduates with geographic perspectives and technological competencies is experienced in many countries with the advent of newest technological advances. However, the educational offer in geotechnologies in the Geography curricula is not consolidated and uniform in public universities of Spain. Besides, the offer of master's programs is also diverse and very concentrated in certain universities for decades. In the coming years the Spanish Academia should develop a renewal of the curricula for its adaptation to these new realities in scientific and professional frameworks. Accordingly, it is required addressing a specialized training in geotechnologies and the development of a standardized training model. From a general assessment of geotechnologies in the Spanish public university, this paper evaluates the strategy of the University of the Balearic Islands, where Geography studies are developed since the end of 1970s decade, assessing the challenges in terms of GIT training at both pre- and postgraduate levels in order to guarantee quality skills for students and their integration into working environments.

Keywords

• geotechnology training
• master programs
• spanish geography departments