What is e-cosystem
e-cosystem is a digital interface linking people, projects and programs who have adopted the “ecosystem approach”.

Why e-cosystem?
Long before the internet, ecologists used the notion of “web” to represent the linkages connecting organisms in their environment. The concept of “food web”, for instance, describes the flow of energy and nutrients. The web-like network of relationships linking organisms and their environment is called an ecosystem.The internet, or the world wide web, is a digital network sharing much similarity with biological ecosystems, such as interconnectedness and synergia.

What is the e-cosystem approach?
Because events, concepts and actions do not stand in isolation, the ecosystem approach is an analytical framework that adopts the notion of ecosystem as its guiding principle. This approach is currently used to understand change in human-related activities and environments, such as natural resource management, urban planning and human health. The ecosystem approach is essentially trans-disciplinary, and promotes a holistic view of sustainability.

Who can use e-cosystem?
Although it was created in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, e-cosystem is open to all, students and faculty and staff from AUB, other universities as well as the general interested public. It currently includes postings from the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Why should I use e-cosystem?
e-cosystem is firstly an idea generating tool. As a storehouse of interdisciplinary activities and achievements, e-cosystem is intended for sharing experience and fostering creativity. Students will use e-cosystem to select courses based on an accessible and extensive set of information, ranging from detailed outlines to previous exams and course evaluations. It will also associate courses and programs with existing research projects. By providing these linkages and by opening communication channels, e-cosytem aims to enhance interactive learning. Researchers will use e-cosystem to identify current efforts, avoid duplication, and for developing research. The transfer of paradigms across disciplines may be one of the most interesting potential spin-offs.

How can I use e-cosystem?
At present, e-cosystem has only capability for asynchronous communications. Its main use is in managing and retrieving information and data. Through the e-mail, users can communicate contributions and postings. We hope to introduce a chat space in the near future, which can be used for remote discussions.