The Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies is a postgraduate research institute that focuses on islands and island communities. In collaboration with our partner the University of Exeter, we offer niche postgraduate degree programmes aimed not only at importing students and staff to the island, but also exporting knowledge and expertise around the world. We believe that Jersey is a great place to learn and study about all aspects of islands and island life.
JICAS hosts a consortium of internationally renowned academics, intellectuals and politicians to help raise the intellectual capital of the island of Jersey and elevate the island’s standing within the global academic community.
Why study islands?!
Islands provide spectacular examples of evolution, owing to their isolation from mainland land masses in space and time. They host a number of unique species disproportionate to their total land mass, making them important repositories of the planet’s biodiversity. Yet there are probably more endangered species and habitats per capita in Small Island Developing States and territories than anywhere else in the world. It is the inherently small sizes of island populations that increase their vulnerability to extinction.
Human activities in most peopled islands are eroding the natural resource base on which not only the islanders themselves, but also the nonhuman species depend for survival. Those vital resources include soil, water and the natural habitats of inland and coastal areas, all of which are affected by overexploitation, pollution, waste disposal and invasive species (including pathogens). With the added burden of climate change, some small island nations are being pushed to their environmental limits. Overcoming the challenges requires good scientific understanding of the island environment, adaptive management skills and solutions appropriate to island circumstances.
Islands are a model for the future, as they now face what must become the long- term preoccupation of the whole world as the attrition of natural resources takes its toll.
