Educational reform for improved natural resource management: Fisheries and aquaculture in Bangladeshi universities

Dissatisfaction with the past performance of natural resource management (NRM) is leading to a shift in the theory and practice of managing natural resources. To respond to these changes, NRM institutions require new professional skills and innovative educational programs to impart them. This article examines the fisheries sector as an example of an NRM system where traditional core disciplines in the biophysical sciences are being supplemented by interdisciplinary approaches and research in partnership with fishing communities. A program of support to universities in Bangladesh is used to illustrate the way in which higher education institutes are participating in these changes.