Vilis Brukas

Having earned my master's in forestry in Lithuania, PhD degree in forest and nature resource planning in Denmark and spending most of my research career in Sweden, I have been fascinated by large differences in forest governance and management among countries in a close geographic proximity. What could be the reasons for e.g. Danish forestry switching large-scale from even to un-even aged forestry and different mixtures of species, while its neighbours in Sweden maintaining the dominance of rotational forestry of spruce and pine? Or why would a spruce stand be usually harvested at 50-60 years of age in southern Sweden but at 70-80 years in Lithuania? These significant differences cannot be explained simply by bio-physical conditions but rather is an outcome of complex mesh of factors, such the economic and social roles of forests, the interests and power of different actors, foresters’ professional ideologies, and trajectories of societal development at large. It is this human conditioning of forest governance and management that has been driving my interest in the forest policy. Compared to the sheer size of forest science as a whole, forest policy discipline is relatively underdeveloped in Sweden. The advancement of the field is thus the core mission of our research group in Forest Policy and Planning at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre. 

My research spans various issues in forest policy, with focus on the countries of the Baltic Sea region. Approaches to forest governance differ widely within the region, constituting an exciting venue for comparative analyses. The topics of interest include but are not limited to:
- Forest policy instrumentation
- Interface between policy and planning
- Forest governance in "old" vs "new" democracies

I am directing the MSc course "National and International Forest Policy", 15 ECTS credits. Delivered by an international teacher team, it examines forest governance and linkages between forest policy and management in different countries.

My interest in improving the practice of teaching and learning has been nurtured through various engagements, such as coordinating EUROFORESTER Master's programme; designing a new  programme  (FORPEC); delivering intensive courses on student-centred learning for university staff; taking part in the SLU Education Board dealing with strategic development of education at our university; and initiating new international Bachelor's programme Forest & Landscape (started in September 2021) and conducting external assessment of forest educations in Lithuania and the Netherlands.

- SLU pedagogic award for Euroforester teacher team, 2006

- SLU individual pedagogic award, 2015

Ongoing and completed PhD projects under my chief supervision:

Ongoing (since 2023): Anna Karlsson, on enhancement of landscape values in forest management plans for private family forestry

- Ongoing (since 2022): Derek Garfield, on socio-technical transition towards more fast growing broadleaves in Swedish forestry.  

- Ongoing (since 2021): Keeli Curtis, on forest advisory services in Sweden, with focus on shifting roles of public services by the Swedish Forest Agency.

- Completed in 2020: Isak Lodin, “Current versus alternative forest management practices in southern Sweden”.

- Completed in 2016: Ida Wallin, “"Forest Management and Governance in Sweden – A Phronetic Analysis of Social Practices" (winner of the IUFRO “Outstanding Doctoral Research Award 2019”)