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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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have also affected the number of<strong>Geography</strong> graduates. In 2003,just 71 students graduated with<strong>Geography</strong> degrees from theuniversities <strong>in</strong> this region and <strong>in</strong>2004 the total was 58. It is highlylikely that <strong>in</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g years thefigures will decrease even more,even though there is an expand<strong>in</strong>gjob market, exemplified by the factthat <strong>in</strong> the academic year 2004−05the University of Leon had morevacancies for work experience <strong>in</strong>companies and <strong>in</strong>stitutions thanstudents able to apply for them.Figure 1. First year <strong>Geography</strong> students <strong>in</strong> Castile and Leon. Academic <strong>Geography</strong> is go<strong>in</strong>gSource: www.<strong>in</strong>e.es; www.jcyl.esthrough a crisis, at just the sametime as the job market is beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to demand specialists <strong>in</strong> <strong>Geography</strong>.The Profession of Geographer <strong>in</strong> Castile and LeonSpanish Law 16/1999, <strong>in</strong> force s<strong>in</strong>ce May 1999, created the State-recognized Guildof Professional Geographers [roughly similar to chartered professional bodies <strong>in</strong>Brita<strong>in</strong>]. It lists among the professional occupations of geographers, not just teach<strong>in</strong>gand research, but also the gather<strong>in</strong>g of territorial and environmental <strong>in</strong>formation,town and country plann<strong>in</strong>g, and the evaluation of socio-spatial processes. At thepresent time, this professional association has more than 1,100 registered membersspread over the whole of Spa<strong>in</strong>, although the total number of geographers work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>the fields described previously is much larger. This is because professional geographylacks a corporate spirit at the moment, unlike other professions such as architecture,eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, or law, so the process of recruit<strong>in</strong>g members is slow.Development of a regional, decentralized structure is among the plans of thecurrent Govern<strong>in</strong>g Body of the Guild, to be achieved through the sett<strong>in</strong>g up ofRegional Branches. The year 2005 was <strong>in</strong>tended to see the establishment of suchbranches <strong>in</strong> Castile and Leon and <strong>in</strong> the Canary Islands, branches for Andalusia,Catalonia, Cantabria, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Galicia already hav<strong>in</strong>g beencreated.Contrary to what has happened <strong>in</strong> other regions, <strong>in</strong> Castile and Leon the AutonomousRegional Government has not really given recognition to geographers’ professionalskills even <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>direct way, through employ<strong>in</strong>g specialists and expertsqualified <strong>in</strong> this discipl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> key posts <strong>in</strong> departments concerned with matters likeurban plann<strong>in</strong>g, GIS, rural development, spatial policies, or environment. Therehave been virtually no vacancies <strong>in</strong> the regional adm<strong>in</strong>istrative bodies advertised asspecifically for geographers, nor have the Region’s Local Authorities acted differently<strong>in</strong> this regard. In some cases, official advertisements seek<strong>in</strong>g to hire experts220

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