Select Page

FACULTY

Cesária Huo (left) with Dr. Ara Monadjem (right) – Photo by Piotr Naskrecki

Faculty

The Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology faculty consists of a talented, knowledgeable team of professors who generously donate their time to teach intensive courses in the master’s curriculum. Faculty members also act as thesis advisors to students and help them in the design and development of their research. We are very grateful for our amazingly dedicated faculty from around the world!

Faculty Members

 

Dr. Salomão Bandeira
Course taught:  Marine Conservation
Institutes:  Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas
Research:  coastal dunes, environmental management and restoration, mangroves, sea grass

 

Dr. Laura Barraza
Courses taught:  Research and Thesis I and II; Perspectives and Methods in Conservation Social Science Research
Institution:  Gorongosa National Park
Course taught:  Evolution
Research:  human evolution, mammalian evolution, paleoanthropology, paleoecology

 

Dr. Luís Comissário
Course taught: Mammal Ecology and Conservation
Institution: Higher Polytechnic Institute of Gaza
Research: ecology, Mangrove ecology, Post-reintroduction monitoring of wildlife, Wildlife management.

 

Dr. Adrian Garside
Course taught:  Conflict and Conservation
Institutions:  The Marjan Centre, King’s College London; The Changing Character of War Centre, University of Oxford
Research:  policy and implementation addressing violent conflicts, wildlife conservation and politicised violence in South Sudan, Camera trap surveys from the Game Reserves in South Sudan

 

Dr. Teresa Gamito
Courses taught:  Politics of Conservation and Governance; Conservation, Ecotourism, and Rural Development
Institution:  University of Lisbon
Research:  sustainable/strategic territory development

 

Dr. Cristina Máguas
Course taught:  Plant Biology and Ecology
Institution:  Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Research:  ecophysiology and ecology of Mediterranean and tropical vegetation, invasive plant species, stable isotope analysis of plant and ecosystem plant functioning; determination of the geographic origin  plant products using stable isotope analysis

 

Dr. Tara Massad
Courses taught:  Introduction to Conservation Biology; Research and Thesis I and II; Methods in Conservation Biology
Institution:  Gorongosa National Park
Research:  chemical ecology, plant-insect interactions; reforestation, tropical forest ecology and diversity

 

Dr. Ara Monadjem
Course taught:  Ecology and Conservation of Mammals; Methods for Biodiversity Surveys
Institution:  University of Eswatini
Research:  conservation, ecology, mammalogy, ornithology, systematics, taxonomy
 

Dr. Piotr Naskrecki
Courses taught:  Systematics and Bioinformatics; Entomology:  Insect Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation of African Ecosystems; Methods for Biodiversity Surveys
Institution:  Gorongosa National Park
Research:  biodiversity, conservation, entomology, taxonomy

 

Bibiana Américo Fernando Nassongole, MSc
Course taught:  Marine Conservation
Institution: Universidade Lúrio, Faculdade de Ciências Naturais
Research:  fisheries management, macroinvertebrates

 

Dr. Anders Nielsen
Course taught:  Applied Pollination Biology
Institution:  University of Oslo
Research:  agro-ecology, climate change, ecological networks, ecosystem services, insect behavior, plant-pollinator interactions, pesticides, statistical modelling

 

Dr. Jorge Palmeirim
Course taught:  Ecology and Conservation of Birds
Institution:  Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Research:  bats; biodiversity, conservation, ornithology, pasture-woodland, spatial modelling, tropical ecology

 

Dr. Octavio Paulo
Courses taught:  Conservation Genetics
Institution:  Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Research:  bioinformatics, conservation genetics, genomics, phylogenetics

 

Dr. Rui Rebelo
Institution:  Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Research:  emergent diseases, herpetology, high nature value farmlands, invasion ecology, sea turtle ecology and conservation

 

Dr. Ana Ribeiro
Course taught:  Techniques in Molecular Biology (in collaboration with Ivete Maquia)
Research:  agrobiotecnology applied to the management and characterization of agro-forestry resources; biodiversity, biology of plant-environment interactions; ethnobotany

 

Dr. Natasha Ribeiro
Course taught:  Restoration and Ecosystem Services
Institution:  Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering University of Eduardo Mondlane
Research:  conservation and forest restoration, fire ecology, evaluation and environmental impact assessments, forest biomass and carbon sequestration, remote sensing

 

Dr. Mark-Oliver Rödel
Course taught:  Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles; Methods for Biodiversity Surveys
Institution:  Museum für Naturkunde
Research:  amphibians; conservation, ecology, environmental change, reptiles, systematics

 

Dr. Carlos Serra

Course taught: Culture and Economics of Natural Resource Management
Institution: Eduardo Mondlane University
Research: environmental activism, environmental law

Dr. João Neves Silva
Course taught: Statistical Analysis and Experimental Design
Institution: Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon
Research: wildfires, land cover/land use mapping, vegetation monitoring, remote sensing

 

Dr. Lino Sander de Carvalho
Course taught: Landscape Ecology and Tools for Spatial Analyses
Institution: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Research: environmental analyses, geoinformatics, remote sensing, water quality

 

Dr. Marla Mujovo
Institution: Universidade Zambeze
Scientific Council member

 

Dr. Sonia Maciel
Institution: Universidade Lúrio
Scientific Council member

 

Dr. Sarrok Talhada
Institution: Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica
Scientific Council member
Mozambican Students attend a workshop in the E.O. Wilson Laboratory at Gorongosa National Park. Mozambique

Academics

We aim to become an internationally recognized M.Sc. program dedicated to training competent and capable biologists and conservation leaders in Mozambique. Our students acquire comprehensive knowledge of conservation science, which allows them to become successful researchers and managers of the country’s biological resources.  Learn More.  

Admissions

Registration for the Master in Conservation Biology in Gorongosa National Park closed on November 3, 2023. Thank you for your interest. 

 

 

Faculty

The Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology faculty consists of a talented, knowledgeable team of professors who generously donate their time to teach intensive courses in the master’s curriculum. Faculty members also act as thesis advisors to students and help them in the design and development of their research. We are very grateful for our amazingly dedicated faculty from around the world! Learn More

Information for Faculty

Our incredible guest faculty make the Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology Program possible. We are extremely grateful for your time and dedication to promoting conservation through education. Learn More. 

Our Consortium Partners

The Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology Program is made possible through partnerships with three Mozambican institutions, the Universidade Lúrio, Universidade Zambeze, and the Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica, in partnership with the Universidade de Lisboa. Our consortium partners help ensure our academic excellence and provide the institutional and administrative support necessary to run a master’s program housed in a national park. Learn more. 

Student Life

Students in the Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology Program have the rare privilege of calling Gorongosa National Park their home for two years. Learn more

Student Research

Our students conduct their thesis research on an impressive variety of topics in Gorongosa National Park and its buffer zone. See here for a list of current research projects. 

Mission

Vision

To become recognized nationally and internationally as a master’s program that prepares professionals capable of contributing to conservation through biodiversity research and effective management.

Mission

To provide master’s students the highest quality education possible in conservation biology in Mozambique. Students will graduate with ample scientific knowledge and will be capable of conducting research and working in conservation management. Graduates will be critical thinkers, have high ethical standards, and a strong sense of compassion. These qualities will guide them in their work in conservation and sustainable development.

Learn More