Assessment of Soil Science in European Higher Education to Meet Growing Soil Awareness Needs

Humanity is facing a number of global challenges coupling soils and essential ecosystems, biodiversity, food production, and climate change. Hence, knowledge and expertise in soil science and soil management are increasingly needed to address these issues for sustainability and development. Soil science in higher education (HE) will be one essential vehicle to provide a new generation with skills and expertise. The aim of this study was to assess the current state of soil science in European higher education by assessing the existing degrees offered, teaching and learning approaches (TLAs) used, and exploring collaborations in internationalisation among higher education institutions (HEIs) in Europe. A survey was conducted in 2020–2021 and 94 responses were received from HEIs teaching soil science in 25 European countries. Results showed that only 16% of HEIs hosted a dedicated soil science department. In most cases, soil science was embedded in departments with other academic topics, mainly environmental sciences and agronomy. Full degree programs in soil science were offered in 28% (BSc), 37% (MSc) and 37% (PhD) of the HEIs (N = 75). Regarding internationalisation of HEIs, only 6% responded that they had international joint programs in place at all levels of education. Twenty-five HEIs (37%) expressed aspirations to establish international programs while 24 (35%) saw no need for joint programs. The top three priorities among the HEIs were to attract students from abroad, develop strategic research partnerships, and provide more opportunities to send students abroad. Traditional lectures dominated TLAs in most soil science courses, especially at BSc level, where 40% of the HEIs responded that more than half of a soil course is delivered as lectures. Several respondents claimed curricula had not changed significantly in the last 5 years. Computer/modelling was either not included or included as a small share in teaching according to 96% (BSc) and 98% (MSc) of the HEIs. We conclude based on the sample, soil science at European HEIs appears conservative, but with scope to strengthen to deliver better soil science expertise for the future. More diverse TLAs and updated teaching materials are needed to provide the next generation of experts with the skills needed to address local and global sustainability challenges related to soils.